Splitting Mysql into two columns (theres a twist)

[louisp]

hi.

I am trying to split results from mysql into two columns sorted vertically an example is:

A                  N

Apple           Nopplefruit

B                 O

Banana       Orange

Im trying to get a similar result to:

http://www.tooled-up.com/manufacturer.asp but failing miserably,

here is my code:

columns = 2;


$rows = ceil($totalmanu / $columns);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$data[] = $row['manufacturer'];
}


echo "<table border=\"1\" align=\"center\" width=\"400px\">\n";
for($i = 0; $i < $rows; $i++) {
echo "<TR>\n";
for($j = 0; $j < $columns; $j++) {
if(isset($data[$i + ($j * $rows)])) {
echo "<td>";

if ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {


$currentletter = "0";

do {
$manufacturer = $row["manufacturer"];

$initial = substr($manufacturer,0,1);

if ($currentletter != $initial)
	{
		$currentletter = $initial;

		echo "\n<p><b><a name=\"$initial\">";
		echo "$initial</a></b></p>\n";

}

echo "&nbsp;" . $data[$i + ($j * $rows)] . "&nbsp;\n";
echo "</td>";
} while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result));


}
}


echo "</tr>\n";
}
}
echo "</table>\n";

please can someone help? It's driving me mad!

[devinemke]

a simple example (using the "fruits" from your example):

$result = mysql_query('SELECT SUBSTRING(fruit_name, 1, 1) AS first_letter, fruit_name FROM fruit ORDER BY fruit_name');
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
  $array[$row['first_letter']][] = $row['fruit_name'];
}

$chunks = array_chunk($array, floor(count($array) / 2), true);

echo '
<table border="1">
<tr valign="top">
';

foreach ($chunks as $chunk)
{
  echo '<td>';
  foreach ($chunk as $key => $value)
  {
    echo $key . '<br />';
    foreach ($value as $fruit)
    {
      echo $fruit . '<br />';
    }
    echo '<br />';
  }
  echo '</td>';
}

echo '
</tr>
</table>
';

[louisp]

THANK YOU!! YOU HAVE BEEN A GODSEND TODAY.. woops caps.

(one more question though - how do you I make it so that all letters in alphabet appear and not just those with a manufacturer begining with it?)

[devinemke]

add this between the while loop and the array_chunk bit:

for ($i = ord('A'); $i <= ord('Z'); $i++)
{
    if (!isset($array[chr($i)])) {$array[chr($i)] = array();}
}

[louisp]

thanks, one problem:

It displays the letters with a manufacturer first, then the remainder i.e. B,D,L,M,P,S,X,A,C,E,F etc. I added the link KSORT($ARRAY); and no problems 🙂