[RESOLVED] Just a small query

LiamBailey

Hi Guys,

I want to display the most recent 4 items from my db at the top, then some text, then the next 4 at the bottom.

I always write functions for things like this, can you use a negative in a limit of an sql query, i.e

function display_latest($section,$limit1)
{
$sql = "SELECT * FROM Articles WHERE Section='$section' ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT -$limit1, 4";

So the first time I would send the variable $limit1 into the function with the value
minus 4 and the second time with the value of -8, would that give me the desired items.

dagon

why not do one query get all 8, its more efficient, otherwise just swap desc with asc

LiamBailey

Because of the text between the two groups of 4, I can't break the while($row=mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {, can I? That prevents me from pulling all 8 at once.

And I can't swap desc for asc because the table will have more than 8 rows that match, I want the most recent 4, and then the next most recent 4.

dagon

you can still use the while loop, just put the 2nd four in a var and echo it later

LiamBailey

Hi dagon,

The problem with that is the problem I have had a lot before: how do I know when i have got to the fourth row.

I mean if you are bringing out all the rows from a table you can go
$num = mysql_num_rows($result) - 4
if ($row['id'] > $num) { echo it now } else { echo it later}

But I have just worked out how to do it when you aren't bringing out all rows and I am so chuffed, you have no idea the problems not thinking of this before has cause me, I'm talking about running seperate queries to find out the ids of certain rows before running the query to get my info.

But I just need to do:

$i = 0;
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
if ($i < 4) {
echo the stuff;
}
else { save to var; }
$i ++
}

That'll work won't it???

Echo the stuff

dagon

LiamBailey;10905918 wrote:
That'll work won't it???

I always answer such questions as try it and see, as you learn more by giving it a go. But, yes that should work fine.

Weedpacket

Another thing is: there is no law that states that you MUST echo stuff at the same time as you're looping through the result set. You ARE allowed to loop through the result set and store all them in an array instead. Then later use that array - loop through all of it, loop through part of it, loop through it backwards, whatever.