why when i ask to order table by increase it is random

Question

When I try running my code to order the sql table from largest score to smallest score it just randomly prints it.

I have tried to switch it from ASC to DESC and leave it empty but it still doesn't work.

$sql = "SELECT * FROM kids ORDER BY final";
$sqll = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
$num = mysqli_num_rows($sqll);
while ($fin = mysqli_fetch_assoc($sqll)) {
    $final = $fin['final'];
    $fname = $fin['f_name'];
    $lname = $fin['l_name'];
    $church = $fin['churches'];
    $room = $fin['room'];
    $grade = $fin['grade'];
    $cop = $fin['coptic'];
    $mem = $fin['mem'];
    $fchurch = $fin['church'];
    $bible = $fin['bible'];
    $fcop = "";
    $fmem = "";


    // find out what score
    if ($cop == 100) {
        $fcop = "Gold";
    } elseif ($cop <= 67) {
        $fcop = "silver";
    } elseif ($cop <= 34) {
        $fcop = "bronz";
    } else {
        $fcop = "";
    }
    //mem
    if ($mem == 100) {
        $fmem = "Gold";
    } elseif ($mem <= 67) {
        $fmem = "silver";
    } elseif ($mem <= 34) {
        $fmem = "bronz";
    } else {
        $fmem = "";
    }


    echo "<tr>
          <th>$fname</th>
          <th>$lname</th>
          <th>$church</th>
          <th>$grade</th>
          <th>$fcop</th>
          <th>$fmem</th>
          <th>$bible</th>
          <th>$fchurch</th>
          <th>$final</th>
        </tr>";
}
echo "</table>";

The result is the first person has 100 in final, then person 2 has 42, and person 3 has 49.

Your final column is text not a int so 1 is before 4 and 42 is before 49 — Moses Schwartz, Aug 28 '19 at 22:54
thanks a lot Moses Schwartz it turns out that it was reading it as a string so just changed sql to int and it worked. — Emerald King, Aug 28 '19 at 22:57
@EmeraldKing You should accept the answer if that solved your problem. — Don't Panic, Aug 28 '19 at 22:58

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 28 '19 at 22:55

It is not random, Your final column type is set to text not int or any other number data type. Therefore 1 is before 4 and 4-2 is before 4-9

To change it you would need to change the type of the final column like this:

ALTER TABLE `kids` CHANGE `final` `final` INT(11) NOT NULL;

why when i ask to order table by increase it is random

1 Answers1