Array help

[stackumhi]

I am trying to display a simple table with 3 columns.

I got a suggestion to use the following code, it does pull all categories from DB but it puts them in a single long row. I need 3 columns of 8 if possible with each being a link to that category's page.

Any help would be great.

<?php
include 'includes/dbconnect.php';

$result = mysql_query("SELECT category FROM CATEGORIES");
echo "<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"2\"><tr>";
$i = 0;
while($array = mysql_fetch_array($result)){//loop through

$i++;
echo "<td>". $array['category']. "</td>";
if(!$i%3){echo "</tr><tr>";$i=0;}
}

$num_rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
$find_colspan = 3 - ($num_rows%3);//if there are 6 rows, this is 0, if there are 7, this is 1.
for($i=0;$i<$find_colspan;$i++){
echo "</td>";
}
echo "</tr></table>";
?>

Here is view source:

<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tr><td>Accommodations - Hotels & Resorts</td><td>Arts & Entertainment</td><td>Automotive</td><td>Business & Professional Services</td><td>Clothing & Accessories</td><td>Community & Government</td><td>Computers & Electronics</td><td>Construction & Contractors</td><td>Education</td><td>Food & Dining</td><td>Government, Community, Schools, Churches</td><td>Health & Medicine</td><td>Home & Garden</td><td>Industry & Agriculture</td><td>Internet</td><td>Legal & Financial</td><td>Media & Communications</td><td>Personal Care & Services</td><td>Real Estate</td><td>Shopping</td><td>Sports & Recreation</td><td>Travel & Transportation</td><td>Wedding Services</td><td>Non-Profits</td></td></td></td></tr></table>

[stackumhi]

Update---

Got it working with the code below.

Now can anyone help me toward getting each category to be a link to it's corresponding page?

Example..."Home & Garden" would be a link to the home & garden page...etc..

Thanks again.

Working code below:

<?php
include 'includes/dbconnect.php';

$result = mysql_query("SELECT category FROM CATEGORIES");
echo "<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"2\"><tr>";
$i = 0;
while($array = mysql_fetch_array($result)){//loop through

$i++;
echo "<td>". $array['category']. "</td>";
//if(!$i%3){echo "</tr><tr>";$i=0;}
if($i == 3){echo "</tr><tr>";$i=0;}
}

$num_rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
$find_colspan = 3 - ($num_rows%3);//if there are 6 rows, this is 0, if there are 7, this is 1.
for($i=0;$i<$find_colspan;$i++){
echo "</td>";
}
echo "</tr></table>";
?>

[rocknbil]

Welcome aboard stakumhi! The modulus operator is one way to do it, I prefer the following, is easier to follow when it goes sideways. I just typed it out, hope it is a copy and paste for you. :-)

<?php 
include 'includes/dbconnect.php'; 
// Set the number of columns you want 
$num_cols = 3; 
$column_count = 0; 
$select = 'select category from categories order by category'; //alphabetical if text 
//------------------------------------------// 
$result = mysql_query("$select"); 
echo '<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">'; 
while($array = mysql_fetch_array($result)) { 
 if ($column_count==0) { echo '<tr>'; } 
 echo '<td><a href="yourscript.php?category=' . $array['category'] . '">' . $array['category']. '</a></td>'; 
 $column_count++; 
 if ($column_count >= $num_cols) { 
 // end the row, reset the colum counter. 
// Next loop it will create a new row. 
 echo '</tr>'; 
 $column_count=0; 
 } 
} 
// On the last row of data, it may not give you three full columns 
// If $column_count is 0, it's good. Otherwise, 
if (($column_count > 0) and ($column_count < $num_cols)) { 
 for ($i=$column_count;$i<$num_cols;$i++) { 
 echo '<td>&nbsp;</td>'; 
 } 
 echo '</tr>'; 
} 
echo '</table>'; 
?>  

Edit: added to add the link per second post, swear it wasn't there . . . . If your categories are by some unique record ID, which they should be, you'd use $array['cat_id'] instead of $array['category'] in the link.

[stackumhi]

Thanks for your help.

I will try your suggestions.

[stackumhi]

Hi Rocknbil,
I did get it to work.

Thank for your help.

Final code below:

$result = mysql_query("SELECT category, cat_id FROM CATEGORIES order by category");
echo "<table border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"5\"><tr>";
$i = 0;
while($array = mysql_fetch_array($result)){//loop through

$i++;
echo "<td width=\"303\">". "<img src='images/test-bullet.jpg' width=\"6\" height=\"6\" />".' ' . "<a href='view-category.php?category=" .$array['cat_id']. "'/>" .$array['category']. "</td>";


//if(!$i%3){echo "</tr><tr>";$i=0;}
if($i == 3){echo "</tr><tr>";$i=0;}
}

$num_rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
$find_colspan = 3 - ($num_rows%3);//if there are 6 rows, this is 0, if there are 7, this is 1.
for($i=0;$i<$find_colspan;$i++){
echo "</td>";
}
echo "</tr></table>";