Need help-Forum

lancey10

Im creating a basic forums and i need advice and HELP on how i make an admin Submit Categorys and sub Catgory that real be placed under the Category

example:

PHP Help
General Help
Forum for General Help questions pertaining to PHP

and also, how do i make it so i can grab certain rows from MYSQL and display only information from lets say if Forum=1?

BobLennon

Try http://www.phpbb.com/

bpat1434

Well, your table layout would have to be correct in the first place.

You'd need a load of tables (phpBB uses around 30 tables). In that, you'd need a categories table:
Categories
[indent]cat_id int auto_increment PrimaryKey
cat_parent int default "0"
cat_title varchar NOT NULL
cat_descrip text NOT NULL[/indent]

Now, you'd specify the parent id if it is a child. That's basically it. Other than that, it's just a set of forms/layout issues and a simple INSERT query to INSERT INTO tablename (column names separated by commas) VALUES (values surrounded by quotes, separated by commas; one value per column).

While it's admirable you want to make a forum, it may be easier to just use phpBB or SMF (Simple Machines Forum) to srat with, until your coding knowledge and skill competency is well above a beginners level. There are plenty of security issues and things to take into account for. So building a good forum (even if just for personal use) is a huge undertaking.

lancey10

Thanks BPAT ts there a way to give me an example of the script? and im doing this as a learning exsperience and maybe as a little project, so no phpbb or VB or IPB please!

bpat1434

Not really. If you want an example, just look at the source of phpBB or SMF. They're both Open Source. What better to learn from than stuff that works?

lancey10

True
Thanks

lancey10

Ok so php bb is confusing
but here is an example of my code:

<?php
$host="localhost"; // Host name
$username=""; // Mysql username
$password=""; // Mysql password
$db_name="test"; // Database name
$tbl_name="forum_question"; // Table name

// Connect to server and select databse.
mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect");
mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB");

$sql="SELECT * FROM $tbl_name ORDER BY id DESC";
// OREDER BY id DESC is order result by descending
$result=mysql_query($sql);
?>


<?php
while($rows=mysql_fetch_array($result)){ // Start looping table row
?>
<table width="90%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC">
<tr>
<td width="6%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6">&nbsp;</td>
<td width="53%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><div align="left"><strong><? echo $rows['Title']; ?></strong></div></td>
<td width="15%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6">&nbsp;</td>
<td width="13%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6">&nbsp;</td>
<td width="13%" align="center" bgcolor="#E6E6E6">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['id']; ?></td>
<td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><a href="view_topic.php?id=<? echo $rows['id']; ?>"><? echo $rows['topic']; ?></a><BR></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['view']; ?></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['reply']; ?></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><? echo $rows['datetime']; ?></td>
</tr>

<?php
// Exit looping and close connection
}
mysql_close();
?>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" align="right" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"><a href="create_topic.php"><strong>Create New Topic</strong> </a></td>
</tr>
</table>

Now for the Topic Title, i onlu want it to show ONCE (instead of repeating when there is another row added) how do i do that?
and for the topics, how do i make it so lets say if catgorytype=1 then ONLY display those rows?

bpat1434

and for the topics, how do i make it so lets say if catgorytype=1 then ONLY display those rows?

Use the LIMIT clause in the SQL SELECT query SELECT Syntax

Now for the Topic Title, i onlu want it to show ONCE (instead of repeating when there is another row added) how do i do that?

Not sure what you mean. Perhaps a DISTINCT call in the query, or even a sub-query would do you. Something you'd have to decide upon.

The subquery would look something like:

SELECT *
FROM `table_name`
WHERE Title=(SELECT DISTINCT Title FROM `table_name` ORDER BY id DESC)

That doesn't solve the problem, I don't think, but you'd have to do something your loop to fix it I believe....

lancey10

Ok how about is it possible to connect too Two databases at the same times and isplay it in the the same html table?

bpat1434

Two databases? Should be able to.
Within the same query? No.

The two databases would have to be:

$conn1 = mysql_connect('localhost', 'username', 'password');
mysql_select_db('database1', $conn1);

$conn2 = mysql_connect('localhost', 'username', 'password');
mysql_select_db('database2', $conn2);

Now, from there with each mysql_query() call you'd have to deliniate which connection you want to use.

Two tables is a different story. THen it's just two different queries, which you can do anyway....

lancey10

and how will i be able to display it on a html table? like the connection.... how do i use the while quere

bpat1434

Read the manual... it's all in there... or search the boards....