MySQL Query and display not working?

Question

My MySQL database is setup with the name "chatterr" with the table name, "maillist". I am currently using the php below:

<?php
mysql_connect("localhost","root","");

//query databae
$query = "SELECT * FROM maillist ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 4";
$result=mysql_query($query) or die('Error, insert query failed');
$row=0;
$numrows=mysql_num_rows($result);

while($row<$numrows) {
    $id=mysql_result($result,$row,"id");
    $first_name=mysql_result($result, $row, "first_name");
    $last_name=mysql_result($result, $row, "last_name");
?>

<?php echo $id; ?>

<?php
$row++;
}
?>

It works on localhost but doesn't work in PHP. What's wrong with the code?

Why do you have several different `` tags? Wrap all of your php code in just one set of `` tags. You are splitting up your while loop. — Aiias, Mar 10 '13 at 06:05
@Aiias Thats irrelevant to the question, but I am doing that because there is html in between that i didn't upload, since its irrelevant. — Harrison Howard, Mar 10 '13 at 06:07
[Please, don't use `mysql_*` functions,](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12859942/why-shouldnt-i-use-mysql-functions-in-php) [they are officially deprecated.](http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-connect.php#function.mysql-connect-refsynopsisdiv) — A. Rodas, Mar 10 '13 at 06:08
@Harrison Howard - It's not irrelevant because you are splitting up your while loop and it will not work as you expect it to. Try using the alternate syntax for [php while](http://php.net/manual/en/control-structures.while.php) loops if you need to split up your code into several php code snippets. — Aiias, Mar 10 '13 at 06:09
**What does "doesn't work" mean?** "Doesn't work" is an inadequate description for us to understand the problem. What happened when you tried it? Did you get incorrect results? Did you get *no* results? If the results were incorrect, what made them incorrect? What were you expecting instead? Did you get *any* correct results? If so, what were they? Don't make us guess. — Andy Lester, Mar 10 '13 at 06:09
@AndyLester It means i am getting the error "Error, insert query failed" — Harrison Howard, Mar 10 '13 at 06:13
@A.Rodas I am using on my localhost for now and i use the newest for online sites. I have no clue what that has to do with anything. — Harrison Howard, Mar 10 '13 at 06:13
Your "Error, insert query failed" doesn't help us at all, because it's a message you made up, never mind that the query that failed is a select, not an insert. You need to print the result of a call to mysql_error instead of making up your own. — Andy Lester, Mar 10 '13 at 06:15
`$result=mysql_query($query) or die mysql_error();` It sounds like you don't know any programming at all, and you're just modifying something that somebody else gave you. That's pretty dangerous. — Andy Lester, Mar 10 '13 at 06:20
What do you mean it works on localhost and not on php? do you mean it works on localhost and when you upload it online it doesnt work? — Muhammad Nasir, Mar 10 '13 at 06:23
@MuhammadNasir What does that have to do with any question of mine? Sorry, but it just works online, but not on my local host machine. IDK why — Harrison Howard, Mar 10 '13 at 06:25
@AndyLester All im getting is: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/chatterr/new/core/dbconnect.php on line 7 — Harrison Howard, Mar 10 '13 at 06:25
@HarrisonHoward: My mistake, put the call to `mysql_error()` in parens in the call to die: `die(mysql_error())`. Beyond that, I'm backing out of this. — Andy Lester, Mar 10 '13 at 06:29
@AndyLester Please help me solve this, all the error that I am getting is "No database selected" — Harrison Howard, Mar 10 '13 at 06:32

peterm · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-10T06:44:00.897

3

Select a database with mysql_select_db before querying it

mysql_connect("localhost","root","");
mysql_select_db("chatterr");

or specify the database name in the query

$query = "SELECT * FROM chatterr.students ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 4";

UPDATE: Besides that your is connection probably failing. Change

mysql_connect("localhost","root","");

to

$db = mysql_connect("localhost","root","");
if (!$db) {
    die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
}

to see if that's the case.

UPDATE3: Put it all together. Although that code has a LOT room for improvement it works perfectly fine on my machine.

<?php
$db = mysql_connect("localhost","root","");
if (!$db) {
    die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
}
$db_selected = mysql_select_db("chatterr", $db);
if (!$db_selected) {
    die ('Could not select db: ' . mysql_error());
}

//query databae
$query = "SELECT * FROM test.students ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 4";
$result=mysql_query($query) or die('Error, insert query failed');
$row=0;
$numrows=mysql_num_rows($result);

while($row<$numrows)
{
$id=mysql_result($result,$row,"id");
$first_name=mysql_result($result,$row,"first_name");
$last_name=mysql_result($result,$row,"last_name"); ?>

<?php echo $id; ?>

<?php

$row++;
}
?>

And please, don't use mysql_* functions for new code. They are deprecated. Use prepared statements with either PDO or MySQLi.

edited Mar 10 '13 at 06:44

answered Mar 10 '13 at 06:09

peterm

91,357
15
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So would the dbname be "chatterr"? – Harrison Howard Mar 10 '13 at 06:14
If it is your database name then yes. – peterm Mar 10 '13 at 06:15
Wait the database name or table name? – Harrison Howard Mar 10 '13 at 06:16
Its not my connection, still getting: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/chatterr/new/core/dbconnect.php on line 10. Line 10 is $result=mysql_query($query) or die mysql_error(); – Harrison Howard Mar 10 '13 at 06:27
That's because you forgot parentheses in `die()`. It should be `$result=mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());` – peterm Mar 10 '13 at 06:31
Still getting the errr "No database selected" – Harrison Howard Mar 10 '13 at 06:34
Then it means that you introduced some other error while editing your code or your database has a different name. See all code in an updated answer. It works fine on my machine. – peterm Mar 10 '13 at 06:39
Again see updated answer for error handling in `mysql_select_db()` just to make sure that you are actually selecting the correct database – peterm Mar 10 '13 at 06:45
Glad that it helped :D Best of luck and please seriously consider to switch to `mysqli` or `PDO`. – peterm Mar 10 '13 at 07:27

Dead Man · Answer 2 · 2013-03-10T06:38:48.290

0

Just do it this way :

<?php
$con = mysql_connect("localhost","root","") or die(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db("chatterr",$con) or die(mysql_error());

//query database
$query = "SELECT * FROM maillist ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 4";
$result=mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
    $id = $row["id"];
    $first_name = $row["first_name"];
    $last_name = $row["last_name"];
}
?>

edited Mar 10 '13 at 06:38

answered Mar 10 '13 at 06:07

Dead Man

2,880
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I am still getting "Error, insert query failed". – Harrison Howard Mar 10 '13 at 06:15
I just updated my code, you are having error in mysql query. Instead of printing Error Message, it's better to print mysql query error. Try that – Dead Man Mar 10 '13 at 06:19
all it says is "No database selected". – Harrison Howard Mar 10 '13 at 06:23
I just updated my code, Now try it, it will 100% work. You didn't select the database in connectivity. – Dead Man Mar 10 '13 at 06:26
Still staying no database. WHY? Idk why. I have code to select it. – Harrison Howard Mar 10 '13 at 06:37
Now check with my code, it will show the error in connecting to database. – Dead Man Mar 10 '13 at 06:39

MySQL Query and display not working?

2 Answers2