sql query virtual ID key

[weazy]

I am using this query to return records:
$sql = "SELECT dat1, dat2, dat3 FROM data WHERE data_type = '1' ORDER BY dat1 ASC;";

then i look through the results like so:
while( odbc_fetch_row($result) ){
$dat1 = odbc_result($result,1);
$dat2 = odbc_result($result,2);
$dat3 = date('m.d.y', strtotime(odbc_result($result,3)));
print $dat1 . " ";
print $dat2 . " ";
print $dat3 . " ";
print "<br />";
}

dat1 is a category that I want to use as a meaningful organizer for the results. I want the loop to print a message when the dat1 result changes. For example, dat1 might return AAAAAA and have specific values for dat2 and dat3 for each row, then it may be BBBBB and have different values for dat2 and dat3 for each row. I want to print a result saying now its time for BBBBB .... and then resume the loop. Also, there is not a unique key that I can use that identifies A as 1 and B as 2 etc.

Thanks.

[napper]

Hi weazy,

I will happy to help. What I guess you are trying to do is print something else when the cat1 changes. For example:

 AAAAA Joe Blow
 AAAAA Trav Jones
---------------------------
 BBBBB Jeff Smith
 BBBBB Jimmy Thomas
---------------------------
 CCCCC Tom Evans
 CCCCC Ken Black

Is this what you going for? Now, the slashes would be whatever you wanted to print when the value of Cat 1 changed. I used a FirstName for Cat2 and LastName for Cat3 understanding they may be different items (probably different sub-categories). I guess I need to know exactly so I can give you some relevant code.

[weazy]

what you have there is exactly correct in terms of what i am trying to achieve.

[napper]

Ok, I have done this before and it is easy as long as your sort your dataset correctly (like you are doing).

$sql = "SELECT dat1, dat2, dat3 FROM data WHERE data_type = '1' ORDER BY dat1 ASC;";

$_prevgroupid = "";  //set this var to something you would NOT have in your db
while( odbc_fetch_row($result) ){
  $dat1 = odbc_result($result,1);
  $dat2 = odbc_result($result,2);
  $dat3 = date('m.d.y', strtotime(odbc_result($result,3)));

  if($_prevgroupid != $dat1) {
      print("-------------------");
  }

  print $dat1 . " ";
  print $dat2 . " ";
  print $dat3 . " ";
  print "<br />";

  $_prevgroupid = $dat1;  //set _prevgroupid so you dont have to print the line next time if it is the same item
}

[weazy]

perfect solution. thanks a bunch.

[weazy]

oops

[napper]

Are you talking about

$sql = "SELECT dat1, dat2, dat3 FROM data WHERE data_type = '1' ORDER BY dat1, dat2, dat3";

or more breaks?

[weazy]

thats right. thanks.