MySQL query result rows available separately as variables?

[sanch]

Hi!
Still learning the ropes of PHP/MySQL here so pardon if this is something from a 101 class. :p

I am wanting to know if/how I can query a MySQL database, pull two rows of information and assign them individual variable names. I know this isn't too clear. Let me try to explain what I want to do...

Let's say I have something similar to this:

$query = mysql_fetch_assoc(mysql_query("SELECT entry_id, user_id, date FROM my_entries WHERE  user_id = '$user_info[user_id]' ORDER BY date DESC LIMIT 2"));

What I would like to be able to do is assign separate variables for the info on the two rows returned by the query. I want to have the following variables:
$first_date = $query[date]; <= from the first row
$second_date = $query[date]; <= from the second row

I can then use the two variables to compare to each other, etc.

Can this be done with a single query? Or are two queries required (if so how)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sanch

[devinemke]

use an array instead of individual global variables:

$result = mysql_query("SELECT entry_id, user_id, date FROM my_entries WHERE user_id = '" . $user_info['user_id'] . "' ORDER BY date DESC LIMIT 2") or exit(mysql_error());
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
  $dates[] = $row['date'];
}

echo 'first date: ' . $dates[0] . '<br>';
echo 'second date: ' . $dates[1] . '<br>';

[sanch]

devinemke... Thank you!