[RESOLVED] Group By Name

[luv2climb]

Hello,

Does anyone know how I can make all rows in a database query the same color, grouped by last name? For instance, I know how to alternate colors in every other row in a php generated table from a database query. But can I make the colors alternate in groups by last name?

For example:

SELECT * FROM table ORDER BY last_name

result...

Smith (in blue)
Smith (in blue)

Jones (in red)
Jones (in red)

Doe (in blue)
Doe (in blue)

Etc.

I am using a while loop to create a table in my web page, populated by the results of the db table. How can I color group rows in the table by last name?

Thank you very much.

[Piranha]

$color = "blue";
$lastname = "";
while ($row = mysql_query($result)
{
    if ($lastname != $row['lastname'])
    {
        if ($color = "blue") $color = "red";
        else $color = "blue";
    }
    // Here you write the rows in the table on the website
}

[luv2climb]

Thank you for the speedy reply. I used the code you suggested, but all of the rows in the result came out the same color.

In the logic of the code, isn't it the if-then statement for the colors always going to be true because $lastname will always not equal $row['lastname'], since $lastname has no initial value?

Sorry if I'm missing something obvious that I should be doing different. And thank you again for helping out.

[Piranha]

I don't understand your question. The if-statement for the color have nothing to do with the if-statement for the lastname. It won't always be executed, but that have nothing to do with the value in the statement.

Can you please post the code where you try to use my code, then it is easier to help you out.

[luv2climb]

I posted the code at

http://go3net.com/color_by_name.php

============
This is what is in the page:

$list = ("select * from table order by last name😉

then

<?
$color = "tan";
$lastname = "";

while ($row=mysql_fetch_row($list))
{
if ($lastname != $row[0])
{
if ($color = "tan") $color = "beige";
else $color = "tan";
}
?>
<tr>
<td class="body_font" width="13%" valign="top" bgcolor="<? echo $color; ?>">
<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">
<?= $row[0] ?>
</font></td>
<td class="body_font" width="15%" valign="top" bgcolor="<? echo $color; ?>">
<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">
<?= $row[1] ?>
</font> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">
<?= $row[2] ?>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">,
<?= $row[3] ?>
</font></div>
</td>
<td class="body_font" width="8%" valign="top" bgcolor="<? echo $color; ?>">
<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">
<?= $row[4] ?>
</font></div>
</td>
<td class="body_font" width="6%" valign="top" bgcolor="<? echo $color; ?>">
<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">
<?= $row[5] ?>
</font></div>
</td>
<td class="body_font" width="6%" valign="top" bgcolor="<? echo $color; ?>">
<div align="center"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">
<?= $row[6] ?>
</font></div>
</td>
<td class="body_font" width="52%" valign="top" bgcolor="<? echo $color; ?>">
<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1"> </font></td>
</tr>
<?
}
?>

[luv2climb]

Piranha,

I do apologize. Your suggestion was correct right from the start. I just had to see the obvious, which was the "if" statement within an "if" statement. Once I got that figured out properly, it works perfectly. Thank you again.

[Piranha]

No problem, sh*t can happen 😃