using left() in mysql

[psyaktiv]

i have a query:

$query = "select left(description, 20)";
$result = mysql_query($query);

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
echo $row["description"];
} 

this is not outputting anything! can anyone see what i'm dewin wrong?

the werd is out...
psy

[aspen]

Are you selecting from any particular table?

[psyaktiv]

ok here's my full query:

function getMembers() {
        
        $query = "select id, username, age, sex, location, left(description, 100), left(keywords, 20), left(music, 20), picture, email, icq, aim, yahoo, url, urlname, sign, page_views from users order by id desc";
        $result = mysql_query($query);

        while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
            echo "<table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" bgcolor=\"#000000\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" width=\"475\">\n\n<tr>";
            echo "\n<td bgcolor=\"#cccccc\" align=\"left\"><b>username: </b>" . $row["username"] . "<br />";
            if(!empty($row["location"])) { echo "\n<b>location: </b>" . $row["location"] . "<br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["age"])) { echo "\n<b>age: </b>" . $row["age"] . "<br />"; }
            echo "\n<b>sex: </b>" . $row["sex"] . "<br />";
            if(!empty($row["sign"])) { echo "\n<b>sign: </b>" . $row["sign"] . "<br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["email"])) { echo "\n<b>email: </b><a href=\"mailto:" . $row["email"] . "\">" . $row["email"] . "</a><br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["aim"])) { echo "\n<b>aim: </b>\n<a href='aim:goim?screenname=" . $row["aim"] . "&message=hey,+i+saw+you+on+the+merge...'>" . $row["aim"] . "</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href='aim:addbuddy?screenname=" . $row["aim"] . "'>+</a><br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["yahoo"])) { echo "\n<b>yahoo: </b><a href='http://edit.yahoo.com/config/send_webmesg?.target=" . $row["yahoo"] . "'>" . $row["yahoo"] . "</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href='http://edit.yahoo.com/config/set_buddygrp?.src=&.cmd=a&.bg=Friends&.bdl=" . $row["yahoo"] . "'>+</a><br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["url"])) { echo "\n<a href=\"" . $row["url"] . "\">" . $row["urlname"] . "</a><br />"; }
            echo "\n<b>views: </b>" . $row["page_views"] . "</td>";
            echo "\n<td bgcolor=\"#ffffff\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" width=\"250\">";
            if(!empty($row["description"])) { echo "<b>description: </b>" . $row["description"] . "<br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["keywords"])) { echo "\n<b>keywords: </b>" . $row["keywords"] . "<br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["music"])) { echo "\n<b>music: </b>" . $row["music"] . "<br />"; }
            echo "</td>\n</tr>\n\n</table><br />\n\n";
        }
} 

[aspen]

Well whenever I use a function in my sql I alias the result.

try: left(description, 20) as desc20

[psyaktiv]

<sigh>...

i really thought that was gonna werk. anymore suggestions possibly?

[redux]

you obviously tried aliasing...however, did you also then use $row["aliasname"] later on to display it, i.e did you remember not to just change your sql, but also the display code afterwards ?

give this a whirl and see if it works for you:

function getMembers() {
        
        $query = "select id, username, age, sex, location, left(description, 100) as desc100, left(keywords, 20) as keys20, left(music, 20) as music20, picture, email, icq, aim, yahoo, url, urlname, sign, page_views from users order by id desc"; // added aliases
        $result = mysql_query($query);

        while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
            echo "<table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" bgcolor=\"#000000\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" width=\"475\">\n\n<tr>";
            echo "\n<td bgcolor=\"#cccccc\" align=\"left\"><b>username: </b>" . $row["username"] . "<br />";
            if(!empty($row["location"])) { echo "\n<b>location: </b>" . $row["location"] . "<br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["age"])) { echo "\n<b>age: </b>" . $row["age"] . "<br />"; }
            echo "\n<b>sex: </b>" . $row["sex"] . "<br />";
            if(!empty($row["sign"])) { echo "\n<b>sign: </b>" . $row["sign"] . "<br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["email"])) { echo "\n<b>email: </b><a href=\"mailto:" . $row["email"] . "\">" . $row["email"] . "</a><br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["aim"])) { echo "\n<b>aim: </b>\n<a href='aim:goim?screenname=" . $row["aim"] . "&message=hey,+i+saw+you+on+the+merge...'>" . $row["aim"] . "</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href='aim:addbuddy?screenname=" . $row["aim"] . "'>+</a><br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["yahoo"])) { echo "\n<b>yahoo: </b><a href='http://edit.yahoo.com/config/send_webmesg?.target=" . $row["yahoo"] . "'>" . $row["yahoo"] . "</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href='http://edit.yahoo.com/config/set_buddygrp?.src=&.cmd=a&.bg=Friends&.bdl=" . $row["yahoo"] . "'>+</a><br />"; }
            if(!empty($row["url"])) { echo "\n<a href=\"" . $row["url"] . "\">" . $row["urlname"] . "</a><br />"; }
            echo "\n<b>views: </b>" . $row["page_views"] . "</td>";
            echo "\n<td bgcolor=\"#ffffff\" align=\"left\" valign=\"top\" width=\"250\">";
            if(!empty($row["desc100"])) { echo "<b>description: </b>" . $row["desc100"] . "<br />"; // changed to desc100 }
            if(!empty($row["keys20"])) { echo "\n<b>keywords: </b>" . $row["keys20"] . "<br />"; // changed to keys20 }
            if(!empty($row["music20"])) { echo "\n<b>music: </b>" . $row["music20"] . "<br />"; // changed to music20 }
            echo "</td>\n</tr>\n\n</table><br />\n\n";
        }
}