select count(*) doesn't work

[Jppr]

Hi,

when I use the following code to count number of articles, I get "Resource id #2" as output. How come???

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$num = mysql_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM article WHERE auid=5");
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I don't get it. What's wrong?

Thanks
</jppr>

[PeterW]

I believe the correct syntax for the mysql count is

$result=mysql_query("select * from article where auid=5");
$num=mysql_num_rows($result);

[freddydoesphp]

Actually the correct syntax would be
$num = mysql_query("SELECT COUNT(*) as totalnum FROM article");

$totalnum = mysql_result($num, 0);

[PeterW]

Okay, that is probably a better way of doing it, but the way I wrote seems to work okay.
I have never seen it written like that before.. but you know what people say, "you learn something new everday"

[freddydoesphp]

It's just a matter of using less resource intensive functions whenever possible

[Jppr]

Why does count(*) needs an alias like "as blabla" ??

</jppr>

[freddydoesphp]

because its a function and the result of that function needs to be assigned to something how else would you go about getting the results

[Jppr]

I see.

I thought that when I did something like

$var = SELECT COUNT(*) blabla

that var would automatically get the result of count.

Thanks freddy

[Son Nguyen]

Or when getting the result, you could use:
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result)
then $counter = $row["COUNT(*)"]; // because COUNT(*) will be the field