Limit HTML Table Rows

[mindcrazy]

I am hoping this can be done easily, I am new at PHP, but have a background in the"old" basic programming so I understand the basics.

I need to limit the rows of the outputted HTML table to three rows. I am hoping that will allow the Rand() function to work "more randomly", than putting a limit in the query statement.

I have put the php code that I am currently working with. It limits the columns to five, but I would like to limit the rows to three. Also if someone knows of a way to help the Rand() function not repeat entries as often that would be great. The table I am working with has over 400 entries, but when I use Limit 15 with the Rand() there are alot of repeats within a couple refreshes of the page.

srand((double) microtime() * 1000000);

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM Table ORDER BY rand()");
$query = mysql_query("SELECT imglink, link FROM Table");

echo "<table cellpadding=5>";

$row_count = 0;
$columns = 5;
$row = mysql_fetch_array($query, MYSQL_ASSOC);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){
if ($row_count == $columns) {
echo "</tr><tr>";
$row_count = 0;
}
echo "<td background='images/back1.jpg' align=center><a href='{$row['link']}'target=_blank><img src='{$row['imglink']}'width=160 height=120 border='0' /></a></td>";
$row_count++;
}

?>

Thank you in advance for your help.
Stacey

[bpat1434]

I was looking into randomizing an array earlier today. You might have a look at this persons note on php.net: Post Here

Also, please note that if you search for the word "random" on this page in the mySQL manual there are proposed methods to generate a random result set.

Hope that helps you out.

[NogDog]

Note that besides the fact that srand() is not really necessary in any reasonably up-to-date version of PHP, in your code it has no effect anyway since you are doing the randomizing in MySQL, not in PHP.