DATE_FORMAT() Working But Not Showing

[spoondevil]

I am using the following script to get the info from the database:

<?php
mysql_select_db($database_localhost, $localhost);
$query_GetBandMembers = "SELECT name, dob, home, dayjob, instrument, likes, dislikes, photoname FROM profiles ORDER BY id ASC";
$GetBandMembers = mysql_query($query_GetBandMembers, $localhost) or die(mysql_error());
$row_GetBandMembers = mysql_fetch_assoc($GetBandMembers);
$totalRows_GetBandMembers = mysql_num_rows($GetBandMembers);
?>

And it it extracting it fine and showing the right date when I use:

<?php echo $row_GetBandMembers['dob']; ?>

I want the date to show as 1st January 2001 so I changed the script to:

<?php
mysql_select_db($database_localhost, $localhost);
$query_GetBandMembers = "SELECT name, DATE_FORMAT('dob','%D %M %Y') AS dob1, home, dayjob, instrument, likes, dislikes, photoname FROM profiles ORDER BY id ASC";
$GetBandMembers = mysql_query($query_GetBandMembers, $localhost) or die(mysql_error());
$row_GetBandMembers = mysql_fetch_assoc($GetBandMembers);
$totalRows_GetBandMembers = mysql_num_rows($GetBandMembers);
?>

The select for the dob (Date of Birth) has changed, and when I use:

<?php echo $row_GetBandMembers['dob1']; ?>

Now it just shows a blank cell in the table.

I am using Dreamweaver MX, and unfortunately it doesn't have any built in date formatting (a big oversight on their behalf), so it all has to be done by hand

Ian Gunter

[torrent]

Try removing the single-quotes from round the dob. I.e.

DATE_FORMAT(dob, '%D, %M, %Y')

[spoondevil]

Cheers mate. It worked a treat

Do you know of any tutorials to learn when and when no to use quotes and single-quotes?

[torrent]

Actually it's quite straight forward.

If you want to refer to a column then don't use quotes. If you are referring to a specific value, then use single quotes (you can use double quotes with MySQL but you shouldn't as it is not strictly ANSI SQL compliant).

You actually don't need to quote numeric values if MySQL is expecting a numeric at that point (either as a column type or in a function), however, if you do quote them it has no adverse affect and so I always quote them.

In short:

Referring to a column name? Don't use quotes.
Referring to a value? Quote.

Hope that helps.

[spoondevil]

cool. sounds simple now it is explained.

cheers