making a link of a mysql result

[raulwg]

i want to make a link out of the results of a mysql query but it doesn't work.....

this is the script:

echo "<a href=\"http://"$myrow["link"]">"$myrow["place"]"</a>";

Greetz, Raśl

[grahamstewart]

Try..

echo '<a href="http://'.$myrow['link'].'>'.$myrow['place'].'</a>';

[Birdman]

Or this should work as well:

echo "<a href='http://$myrow[link]'>$myrow[place]</a>";

I usually use single quotes around my attributes when echoing or printing so I don't have to escape them.

I also don't use quotes around the MySQL field(i.e. [link])

Don't rightly know if my methods are correct, but it seems to work for me.

[bonanza]

When I'm going to be doing a lot in my script with database results, I save them to regular variables first:

$this_link = $myrow["link"];
$this_place = $myrow["place"];
echo "<a href=\"http://$this_link]\">$this_place</a>"; 

Makes it a little easier to create and read the html.

If you use double-quotes, you can reference variables directly. If you use single quotes, you won't need to escape the double quotes, but PHP won't translate the variables. Whatever you prefer.

[raulwg]

thanx for all the answers, tips and making my first post a success....

[willybfriendly]

When I'm going to be doing a lot in my script with database results, I save them to regular variables first:

$this_link = $myrow["link"];
$this_place = $myrow["place"];
echo "<a href=\"http://$this_link]\">$this_place</a>";

Why not just use extract($myrow);?

I agree, this makes code much more readable.

WBF

[andreasfriedrich]

Or this should work as well:

echo <<<END_OF_HTML 
<a href="http://$myrow[link]">$myrow[place]</a> 
END_OF_HTML;  

Andreas

[Birdman]

What are the benefits of using the heredoc(I think that's what it's called) method, Andreas?

[bonanza]

Why not just use extract($myrow);?

Absolutely! I figured that would complicate my post.

What are the benefits of using the heredoc

Simplicity and code readability especially for big blocks of HTML riddled with PHP. (And it feels like Perl :))

[Birdman]

Thanks bonanza,

I will start using that method, just wanted to know why I should.

[andreasfriedrich]

There is a post on Using heredoc syntax [webmasterworld.com] already in the Bag-O-Tricks for PHP II [webmasterworld.com].

Another benefit of using heredoc syntax is that it save you from having to escape any kind of quotes within your string.

Andreas

[grahamstewart]

I also don't use quotes around the MySQL field(i.e. [link])

I'm pretty sure that this will cause an 'unknown define' warning to be generated. However, php just assumes that link is defined as 'link' so your code still works - but I wouldn't recommend it.

If your not seeing a warning yourself then you probably don't have the error level turned up - have a look in php.ini and put it all the way up to error_reporting = E_ALL for development work.

echo <<<END_OF_HTML

I like the Heredoc syntax too, but unfortunately it causes the syntax highlighting in Textpad to get completely confused. Anyone got a php syntax definition file for textpad that can handle it?Or know of a better editor to write php in?

[andreasfriedrich]

When you want to interpolate a certain array element into a double quoted or here doc delimited string then - using the simple syntax - one must not use $myrow['fieldname']. Only $myrow[fieldname] will work. This is an exception to the general rule that you need to quote hash keys.

Andreas

[grahamstewart]

My bad: didn't know that - guess I should have tested before shooting my mouth off :)