Hi,

I have attempted doing this myself, and having some issues (I expected)..

<div align="center"><b>Categories / Subcategories</b>:
<p>

PHP Code:

<?php

$link = mysql_connect("host", "user", "pass");
mysql_select_db("db", $link);

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * from categories");

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

// Adjustable table -- <b>Problem is below</b>

$tr = 1;
$td = 4;

for($i = 0; $i < $tr; $i++) 
{
     echo '<table>';
     echo '<tr>';
     for($j = 0; $j < $td; $j++)
     {
          echo '<td align="center">';
          echo $row['category_name'] . '&nbsp;';
     }
     echo '</tr> </td> </table>';
}
}

?>

</div>

Ok, I am not sure if the code is even on track to do what I am trying for, which is to display 4 columns (across the page) and 1 row (down the page) for now to test. Here's the url to see what I am currently getting:

http://reunitemysite.com/cats.php

I am getting the category displayed 4 times across the page, then a line break then the next category displayed 4 times, etc..etc.. until each category is displayed.

Help anyone?

why are you looping if you're only doing it once

I am looping because I didn't know any other way to get the data onto the page. If you can help further, that would be fantastic. I should know more php, but because I learn as I go, I have lot's of issues. I can't afford the schooling, so I try to piece things together.

Thank you
Brian

Nevermind. I was asking about the big loop and why it was in a loop. But I realized it's an adjustable table so it won't always loop once.

Okay so is your j variable in charge of the columns? Try putting

echo '<tr>';

and

echo  '</td></tr>'; 

inside the j loop.

Originally Posted by andrei155

Nevermind. I was asking about the big loop and why it was in a loop. But I realized it's an adjustable table so it won't always loop once.

Okay so is your j variable in charge of the columns? Try putting

echo '<tr>';

and

echo  '</td></tr>'; 

inside the j loop.

Tried that, and the result is still incorrect, have a look at the output here:
http://reunitemysite.com/cats.php

I am looking for this output:

Shopping      Social Networking      Test Category      Another Category

Another Category      Another Category      Another Category      Another Category

But aligned correctly, as long as I am achieving multiple rows of categories and multiple columns as well.

I dont get it, what are you trying to do? Do you want to place the categories as

Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4
Category 5 | Category 6 | Category 7 | Category 8
Category 9 | and so on...

or will you always have just 4 categories?

I'm guessing the first one, in which case I would do something like this:

PHP Code:

echo '<table>';
$first_row = true;
$i = 0;
$td = 4;
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
   if ($i % $td == 0) {
      if ($first_row) {
         echo '<tr>';
         $first_row = false;
      } else {
         echo '</tr><tr>';
      }
   }
   echo '<td>' . $row['category_name'] . '</td>';
}

echo '</tr></table>'; 


Sorry,

You'll need to close your td cell tag within the loop to start a new cell the next time it passes through.

Just add

 echo '</td>';

in the j loop and remove it from the i loop.

Originally Posted by andrei155

Sorry,

You'll need to close your td cell tag within the loop to start a new cell the next time it passes through.

Just add

 echo '</td>';

in the j loop and remove it from the i loop.

That did not work. Still having the same issue, 4 of each category displayed in each row.

Did you try it my way?

Hi Brian, good lad for tackling it yourself!

You don't want the for loop inside the while - that's telling the program to output four things for each and every row, which is why you're getting each category four times. Just one loop is fine.

Normally you would do it all in a while loop but using a table gives a complication - you'll need a colspan on the last td unless you have 4n records precisely (or put empty cells in). Life would be easier if you do this with CSS.

Consider what you need to do: start and end tr tags as necessary - so you keep a count (or use the mod operator) and output a "</tr>" after very four td's.

To handle the last cell, loop through all rows bar one, then process the final row on its own after the loop.

Originally Posted by PaulW

Hi Brian, good lad for tackling it yourself!

You don't want the for loop inside the while - that's telling the program to output four things for each and every row, which is why you're getting each category four times. Just one loop is fine.

In what code are you referring to about the for loop? ( Post #1 or Post #6 )

Normally you would do it all in a while loop but using a table gives a complication - you'll need a colspan on the last td unless you have 4n records precisely (or put empty cells in). Life would be easier if you do this with CSS.

I will try this, but I may have an issue here, but will post back.

Consider what you need to do: start and end tr tags as necessary - so you keep a count (or use the mod operator) and output a "</tr>" after very four td's.

I will try this as well.

To handle the last cell, loop through all rows bar one, then process the final row on its own after the loop.

Ok, will try this

Thanks alot.