creating map in php

[knucklehead]

hi.
i want to make a simple 'map' (or should i call it 'grid'?) let's say 10x10 fields. i imagine it would be a simple <table> in html at the end...
i would also like to enable user's input with this data: NAME, X COORDINATE, Y COORDINATE.
so, if user submits his name and coordinates he gets a link (image or text or whatever) in that table, at X-Y position.
of course, everything works with mysql table which is already prepared...

so, my question is; how to achieve something like that? i'm not sure how to tell to html and php which cell is exactly some coordinate? i don't even know what to search for in google because in cases of 'php map' or 'php grid' or similar, lots of unnecessary stuff is found... please, send some tips, links, guides...

thanks a lot!

[Weedpacket]

Give the fields names like "cell[5][4]".

[knucklehead]

you mean i should define in my sql table text column which will be populated with values like coords[x][y]? that sounds good...

so far i made a simple script which defines a table

echo "<table>";

for ($x = 1; $x <= 100; $x++) {

echo "<tr>";

for ($y = 100; $y >= 1; $y = $y-1) {

$selekt = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM table WHERE x = '".$x."' AND y = '".$y."'");
$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($selekt);
$users_on_cell = mysql_num_rows($selekt);

if ($users_on_cell == 1) {

$content = "<b>".$x.":".$y." </b>".$row['user'];

}

if ($row_selektirani['y'] == $y AND $row_selektirani['x'] == $x) {

echo "<td>";
echo "SOME INFO";
echo "</td>";

} else {

echo "<td><img src=\"transparent.gif\" width=\"5\" height=\"5\" /></td>";

}

}

echo "</tr>";

}

echo "</table>";

so what do you think of that approach?

i also wonder one thing;

check out this part;

if ($users_on_cell == 1) {

$content = "<b>".$x.":".$y." </b>".$row['user'];

}

here i check if there is registered user on that specific cell. and if exists display coordinates and user name. i want to ask, in case that more users exist on that cell how to diplay ALL user names on that cell?

thanks!

[Weedpacket]

Sorry; for some reason I was thinking of form fields (a grid of checkboxes or text fields for them to put their name in). The database table would seem straightforward enough: Columns for x-coordinate, y-coordinate, name, and whatever else is appropriate for a single cell. The x- and y-coordinates together would be the primary key.

So.... I'm not clear what the original question is:

knucklehead wrote:

everything works with mysql table which is already prepared...

so, my question is; how to achieve something like that?

Ah, there seems to be a clue at the end there....

i want to ask, in case that more users exist on that cell how to diplay ALL user names on that cell?

Another table (separate from the one that has information about each cell): x,y,name; if there are multiple names on a cell there would be multiple rows with the same x/y values.

[knucklehead]

Weedpacket;10902593 wrote:

Sorry; for some reason I was thinking of form fields (a grid of checkboxes or text fields for them to put their name in). The database table would seem straightforward enough: Columns for x-coordinate, y-coordinate, name, and whatever else is appropriate for a single cell.

ok, we understand each other =)
anyway, imagine a table of 100x100 full of input fields or checkboxes. that would be too much i think... and it really doesn't matter if i make another form for 'manual' input of coordinates, right?

The x- and y-coordinates together would be the primary key.

hmmm... i don't understand this part completely.. could you explain me what would i get with it? isn't the fact that primary key can be only one column in mysql?

....Another table (separate from the one that has information about each cell): x,y,name; if there are multiple names on a cell there would be multiple rows with the same x/y values.

you mean that i would end up with something like this;

if ($numrows > 1) {

$selekt = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM other_table WHERE x = '".$_GET['x']."' AND y = '".$_GET['x']."'") or die(mysql_error());

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($selekt)) {

	echo $row['whatever'];

}

}

couldn't i some query to select it from a single table?

if (coord x, y) {
echo rows with that coords
}

=)

thanks for tips =)

[Weedpacket]

knucklehead wrote:

anyway, imagine a table of 100x100 full of input fields or checkboxes. that would be too much i think...

It's only 100×100=10,000 records. One of the databases I've got running on my local machine has 2.5 million records in one of its tables.

could you explain me what would i get with it? isn't the fact that primary key can be only one column in mysql?

Honestly, I don't recall when it comes to MySQL and I'm too lazy to look it up, but in DBMSs that aspire to SQL compliance the answers are: all of the usual benefits of having a primary key (physical clustering, uniqueness, indexing); and no.

couldn't i some query to select it from a single table?

Pardon?

[knucklehead]

Weedpacket;10902881 wrote:

It's only 100×100=10,000 records. One of the databases I've got running on my local machine has 2.5 million records in one of its tables.

yes, i am aware of that capability but in my case i think it is better to make another form outside the table =)

Honestly, I don't recall when it comes to MySQL and I'm too lazy to look it up, but in DBMSs that aspire to SQL compliance the answers are: all of the usual benefits of having a primary key (physical clustering, uniqueness, indexing); and no.

ok, i understand. the only thing is that mysql cannot have two primary keys but this doesn't matter at all this time...
another thing is, i think i don't need to have UNIQUE x and y columns?? i must allow more than one record to have same x or y coordinate, right?

Pardon?

mah, sorry, i was too tired so i missed few words hehehe =)
i wanted to ask; is it NECESSARY to make another table so i could display that more users exist on that specific cell? can i make some query to select from my 'only' table all users on that cell and display their data?
for example;
code=php
$selekt = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM table WHERE x = '".$GET['x']."' AND y = '".$GET['x']."'") or die(mysql_error());
$numrows = mysql_num_rows($selekt);

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($selekt)) {
if ($numrows > 1) {
//more users exist, so display all $row['user'] with x,y coords
} else {
//only one user, display only one $row['user'] with x,y coords
}
}[/code]
thanks

[Weedpacket]

knucklehead wrote:

yes, i am aware of that capability but in my case i think it is better to make another form outside the table =)

I don't understand.

knucklehead wrote:

ok, i understand. the only thing is that mysql cannot have two primary keys but this doesn't matter at all this time...

I didn't suggest two primary keys, I suggested one primary key that uses two columns.

knucklehead wrote:

i wanted to ask; is it NECESSARY to make another table so i could display that more users exist on that specific cell? can i make some query to select from my 'only' table all users on that cell and display their data?

It's not NECESSARY to use a DBMS in the first place, but since you are you might as well use it for what it's good at. Trying to shovel arbitrary numbers of values into a single field (or fixed number of fields) is a good way to make a lot of trouble for yourself.

[knucklehead]

Weedpacket;10902890 wrote:

I don't understand.

ok, here is the place for testing this map so check it out;

http://www.ususur.org/i/

so, if i get you right, you would put a checkbox or input field in each cell of this table, right? what i was trying to say is that i will put form with input fields 'outside' of my html table... so each user must write X and Y coordinate.

Weedpacket;10902890 wrote:

I didn't suggest two primary keys, I suggested one primary key that uses two columns.

hmmm... now i'm losing you =) i'm trying google on this one =)

Weedpacket;10902890 wrote:

It's not NECESSARY to use a DBMS in the first place, but since you are you might as well use it for what it's good at. Trying to shovel arbitrary numbers of values into a single field (or fixed number of fields) is a good way to make a lot of trouble for yourself.

when you say 'DBMS' you mean about 'relational tables', right? can you explain me why would it be trouble at the end if i go only with 1 table??
thanks!

[Weedpacket]

knucklehead wrote:

what i was trying to say is that i will put form with input fields 'outside' of my html table... so each user must write X and Y coordinate.

Oh; well, that has nothing to do with how they're being stored. I was just thinking it would be easier for the user.

Weedpacket wrote:

I don't understand

Hint: in English (and Hungarian, too, yes?), sentences start with a capital letter.

when you say 'DBMS' you mean about 'relational tables', right? can you explain me why would it be trouble at the end if i go only with 1 table??
thanks!

DataBase Management System. A relational DBMS is a particular kind of DBMS (an "RDBMS", funnily enough). "Relation" being the mathematical term for "table". Something else to Google for: "database normalization".

[knucklehead]

ok, after few hours of brainstorming (or rather brainkilling=))) i came up with something like this;

http://www.ususur.org/i

please, check it out and tell me am i going in better direction now? you can click around and submit a form if you want....
anyway, now i have two tables;
one which will describe the cell itself (x, y and something third) and other with user information... id of a map_coordinates table is a key for map_id in map_users table.

for now i'm sure that i am missing something banal here but i cannot get my script to display ALL users on specific cell... i mean, if there are more than 1 user, it displays sum of them minus 1 (so if there are 5 users, i will see only 4)..

here is a part with that table;

//printing main table

echo "<table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><tr><td>";

echo "<table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\">";

for ($x = 1; $x <= 10; $x++) { //loop for x coordinate

echo "<tr>";

for ($y = 10; $y >= 1; $y = $y-1) { //loop for y coordinate

	//selecting user(s) on specific coordinate
	$selekt_users = (mysql_query("SELECT * FROM map_coordinates, map_users WHERE map_coordinates.id = map_users.map_id AND map_coordinates.x = ".$x." AND map_coordinates.y = ".$y."")) or die(mysql_error());

	$users_on_cell = mysql_num_rows($selekt_users);

	$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($selekt_users); //this one is for case than only one user exists on cell

	if ($users_on_cell > 1) { //checking if there is more than 1 user on cell

		$content = "x".$x.":y".$y." OPTION ".$row['option']."</b><br /><br />";

		while ($rows = mysql_fetch_array($selekt_users)) { //looping through all users on that cell

			$content .= $rows['user_name']."<br />".$rows['description']."<br /><br />"; //displaying users' data

		}

	} else {

		$content = "x".$x.":y".$y." OPTION ".$row['option']."<br /><br />".$row['user_name']."<br />".$row['description'];

	}

	$content_coords = "x".$x.":y".$y; //content of empty cell

	if ($row['y'] == $y AND $row['x'] == $x) { //checking if there is any users on that cell

		echo "<td class=\"tablica_border\" width=\"40\" height=\"30\" onMouseover=\"ddrivetip('".$content."', '#EFEFEF')\"; onMouseout=\"hideddrivetip()\" bgcolor=\"".$row['colour']."\">&nbsp;</td>";

	} else { //if no users on cell just print coordinates

		echo "<td class=\"tablica_border\" onMouseover=\"ddrivetip('".$content_coords."', '#EFEFEF',50)\"; onMouseout=\"hideddrivetip()\" width=\"40\" height=\"30\">&nbsp;</td>";

	}

}

echo "</tr>";

}

echo "</table>";
echo "</td></tr></table>";

[knucklehead]

knucklehead;10902997 wrote:

//printing main table

echo "<table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><tr><td>";

...

hehehe what a noobish code i have here =)

oh, i forgot to answer about my laziness... you see, sometimes it's really hard to press shift after each full-stop... it's a losing of time and money =) you see how much time i lose for my lame coding, and where would i be to press so much shifts! =) i'm not sure about hungarian but in my country (croatia) they are doing it that way also =)

thanks for tips about googling.... i will spend lots of time on those really interesting pages... it is 4am here now so i'm going to dream some tables....

good night =)

[Weedpacket]

knucklehead wrote:

i'm not sure about hungarian but in my country (croatia) they are doing it that way also =)

Well, I was just going by "klrja i pol" and your ISP when I guessed Hungary.

i forgot to answer about my laziness... you see, sometimes it's really hard to press shift after each full-stop... it's a losing of time and money

So instead the poor sap who has to read it ends up spending extra time and money trying to make sense of it? "I'm too lazy to try and make what I write easy for you to read. I mean hit the shift key? Do you know how much hard work that is? Here, you do all the work: I can't be bothered."

[knucklehead]

Weedpacket;10903031 wrote:

Well, I was just going by "klrja i pol" and your ISP when I guessed Hungary.

You were close enough =) They are our neighbors but they really have totally abracadabra language =) That word 'KRLJA' is not actually a word, more like onomatopoeia for something that is not-how-it-should-be =)

Weedpacket;10903031 wrote:

So instead the poor sap who has to read it ends up spending extra time and money trying to make sense of it? "I'm too lazy to try and make what I write easy for you to read. I mean hit the shift key? Do you know how much hard work that is? Here, you do all the work: I can't be bothered."

Hey, come on, I didn't mean to insult you! I was just kidding =) See, I already started to use correct punctuation and letter-case! I can't even remember the last time I wrote capital 'i' when I'm talking about myself =) And now, just look at me =) Writing like a grown-up =) The problem is also that sometimes I mess up the order of words in a sentence but that's just because I cannot speak perfect English =)
I hope I will make it up to you some day for all your help!
(...so, are we back in the game??)
;-)
Thanks and cheers!

[djjjozsi]

abracadabra language =)

Én még nem vettem észre hogy abrakadabra nyelvünk lenne 😉
=>>
I didn't notice that we have an abracadabra language 😉

[knucklehead]

djjjozsi;10903058 wrote:

Én még nem vettem észre hogy abrakadabra nyelvünk lenne 😉
=>>
I didn't notice that we have an abracadabra language 😉

😃😃😃

[Weedpacket]

knucklehead wrote:

That word 'KRLJA' is not actually a word,

I know: Google kept asking me if I meant "kralja" 🙂

The problem is also that sometimes I mess up the order of words in a sentence but that's just because I cannot speak perfect English =)

I understand that. More reason to be careful about what you do write, though, yes? But I've ranted about it before, so it's nothing personal.

[knucklehead]

Weedpacket;10903111 wrote:

I know: Google kept asking me if I meant "kralja" 🙂

Exactly 🙂 It's very easy to confuse google =)

Weedpacket;10903111 wrote:

I understand that. More reason to be careful about what you do write, though, yes? But I've ranted about it before, so it's nothing personal.

I must admit that your ranting really touched me (and made me laugh few times because I recognized myself). I always try to search all around the web for my solution and posting a new topic here is many times my last option. I learned how to find and solve my problems without being pain-in-the-ass =) So I come here every time when I'm really pissed off and after everything I don't have nerves to be careful about punctuation... But hey! Check it out, I did change!!!! =)

I see that few people tested my map from the url above and thank you for that! =)
There are some things that should be fixed, for example displaying error in case when some input field is not set etc.
But I must tell you that i have been reading about database normalization a lot and it is very interesting! =) So, now i know about 1NF and 2NF and BCNF and all other fancy abbreviations hehehehe I say; REALLY INTERESTING STUFF!!! Thanks!

At the end, I believe that now my tables are normalized (after i fix errors from above) and I should be able to continue with php, right?

Oh yes, I still didn't figure out about displaying more users on a single cell.... I'm searching on some fancy forums for solutions but i would like to understand what am I doing wrong, not just copy-paste stuff....

Thanks for patience lol =)