Query Database by ID for page title and content

Question

This one is very simple, but I've gone in so many circles today I'm completely lost!

I'm trying to grab the correct page title and page content, based upon a variable I set at the top of the page. ie:

<?php 
$pageIDn = 2;
include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] .'/includes/functions.php');
content($pageIDn); // the function that queries the DB
include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] .'/includes/header.php'); ?>

Within functions then I have this function/query:

function content($pageID){
    $query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM pages WHERE id = 1");
    $title = $query['title'];
    $content = $query['content'];
}

And then in the relevant locations in the file I'm trying to echo the variables ie:

<h2><?php echo $content; ?></h2>

I know I've made a very stupid mistake here somewhere... just not sure where.

Two mistakes: Not enabling error_reporting, and not looking at the manual examples for [`mysql_query`](http://php.net/mysql_query) right away. (Also, still using mysql_query is a mistake in itself. But it's entirely your decision to use the more cumbersome api.) — mario, Jan 06 '13 at 21:52

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited May 25 '19 at 14:30

2

You have three big errors:

You forgot to put your $pageID in your query:

$query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM pages WHERE id = {$pageID}");

...to fetch your results:

$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($query);
$title = $row['title'];
$content = $row['content'];

...and return and capture your output:

return array($title, $content);

list($title, $content) = content($pageIDn);

Stack Overflow:

$pageIDn = 2;
include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] .'/includes/functions.php');
list($title, $content) = content($pageIDn); // the function that queries the DB
include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] .'/includes/header.php'); ?>

function content($pageID){
    $query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM pages WHERE id = {$pageID}");
    $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($query);
    $title = $row['title'];
    $content = $row['content'];
    return array($title, $content);
}

Also, Please, don't use mysql_* functions in new code. They are no longer maintained and are officially deprecated. See the red box? Learn about prepared statements instead, and use PDO, or MySQLi - this article will help you decide which. If you choose PDO, here is a good tutorial.

edited May 25 '19 at 14:30

Zoe

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answered Jan 06 '13 at 21:49

John Conde

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also you have to set the $content variable as a global variable to use it outside the function too. – Sevag Akelian Jan 06 '13 at 21:57
Actually I don't because it is in the array that is returned by ` content()` – John Conde Jan 06 '13 at 21:59
Thank you very much - it's all so simple when the glaring mistakes are pointed out! Very appreciated. – Alexander Wigmore Jan 06 '13 at 22:00
Also regarding the depreciated mysql_*, I wasn't even aware! I've basically hashed together a basic CMS from this tutorial: http://www.melvinwalls.com/2011/01/creating-a-basic-cms-with-php-and-mysql-part-1/ but using it in quite a different way. – Alexander Wigmore Jan 06 '13 at 22:03

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 06 '13 at 21:53

You first mistake is forget about MYSQL_*. Use PDO Second, you said you wanted to grab $pageIDn = 2, but you did not use at all.

function content($pageID){
$query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM pages WHERE id = ".$pageIDn." ");
$row = mysql_fetch_array($query);
$title = $query['title'];
$content = $query['content'];
 }

Query Database by ID for page title and content

2 Answers2