using switch with php

[garry]

Okay, so I'm trying to write a music review website using php. I want to set it up so that it goes www.mysite.com/artists.php?id=1 for example, and then it would check the id against the database and get the row for the artist id that is 1. I'm trying to do this using a switch and keep getting errors with variables not being defined and such and don't know how to do it. Can someone please have a look at my code and help?

 

<?php
   add_header();
   
   db_connect();
   
   $query ="
         SELECT artist_id, artist, description
         FROM artists
         WHERE artist_id = '$artistid'   
         ";
   
        $result = mysql_query($query);
   
      $row = mysql_fetch_array($result);
   
   
   $artistid = ????
   
   switch ($id) {
   
     case ($artistid):
    
     echo 'artist info';

     break;
    
     default:
     echo "Welcome to the artists page!";
     break;
   
   }
   

?>

 

I am only very new to php and still learning.

Thankyou for any help!

 

[Spaceman-Spiff]

The variable $id has never been defined.

 

Perhaps you can use if, else method instead, it's simpler.

 

<?php

add_header();
   
db_connect();
   
$query ="
         SELECT artist_id, artist, description
         FROM artists
         WHERE artist_id = '$artistid'   
         ";
   
$result = mysql_query($query);
   
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);
   
if (!empty($row['artist']))
{
     echo 'Welcome to the page of ' . $row['artist'];
}
else 
{
echo 'Artist ID not found';
}
   
?>

 

 

[garry]

Thanks for your reply!

 

Unfortunately that wouldn't work as it wouldn't be able to provide the .php?id=x ability. After playing around a bit, I've got it all working except one bit.

 

<?php
 add_header();

db_connect();

$id = $_GET['id'];

$query ="
		SELECT artist_id, artist, description
		FROM artists
		WHERE artist_id = '$id'    
		";

$result = mysql_query($query);

    $row = mysql_fetch_array($result);	


switch ($id) {

  case ($id):
  


  echo "<b>Artist:</b> " . $row['artist'] . "<br /><br /><b>Description:</b> <br />" . $row['description'];

  break;
  
  default:
  echo "Welcome to the artists page!";
  break;
  
}


?>

 

Now this code works fine when you navigate to a .php?id= page and will show the relevant information for the artist. However if you just go to the artists.php page (the default case) I get the following page:

 

 

Notice: Undefined index: id in /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/dev/artists.php on line 12

Artist:

 

Description:

 

For some reason, it is still using the data from the $id case and not using the default case that I put. Can anybody suggest a solution that will let me keep the .php?id= function and also execute different code when the user simply vists artists.php.

 

Thank you!

[DarkWater]

Horrible usage of switch statements depress me.  Here:

<?php
 add_header();

db_connect();
if (isset($_GET['id'])) {
$id = (int) $_GET['id'];

$query ="
		SELECT artist_id, artist, description
		FROM artists
		WHERE artist_id = '$id'    
		";

$result = mysql_query($query);
if (mysql_num_row($result) > 0) {
         $row = mysql_fetch_array($result);	
 echo "<b>Artist:</b> " . $row['artist'] . "<br /><br /><b>Description:</b> <br />" . $row['description'];

  
}
}
}
else {
  echo "Welcome to the artists page!";
}


?>

 

*sobs* 

[radar]

no fear.  i use switches for my site as well there is one thing you need to replace..  let me get dreamweaver open and get the code for you..

 

<-- 2 minutes later -->

 

 

replace:

$id = $_GET['id'];

 

with:

$id = isset($_REQUEST['id']) ? $_REQUEST['id'] : '';

 

That should work..

[DarkWater]

NO NO NO.  RADAR, NEVER USE REQUEST.  =/  I absolutely cannot fathom why someone would use REQUEST.  My code works, and yours will NOT work at all with his current set up. 

 

1) Read the code next time.

2) Don't use Dreamweaver...write your own code.

3) Don't use $_REQUEST.

[radar]

1) i read the code

2) dreamweaver what? notepad ftw..

3) $_REQUEST does EVERYTHING i need it to..  $_GET never seems to work for me.. 

 

so there ya go...

[DarkWater]

1) Doesn't seem like it.

2) "let me open up dreamweaver"

3) Have fun getting your site effed up by someone who actually knows what they're doing because you thought it'd be a good idea to use $_REQUEST.

[radar]

Dreamweaver was easier than waiting for my very large file to open in notepad...  took me 30 seconds as apposed to waiting for notepad to open and parse 18K lines of code...

 

$_REQUEST isn't really that bad.  Yeah it can get data contamination from the $_GET, $_POST, and $_COOKIE but that is where print_r comes in handy to verify data..  and if someone wants to screw up my site, let them go ahead and try...  The method in which I use $_REQUEST doesn't really matter as it is ONLY used to get data from the address bar for navigation.. 

 

For forms i still use the $_POST, and if i feel like using cookies i still use $_COOKIE...  $_REQUEST does have drawbacks, but to me, the good that it has, far outweighs the cons.

[garry]

Thankyou for your replys everyone.

 

Darkwater, I'm only new at php which is why I tried to use a switch to do what I wanted as I wasn't sure exactly how.

 

I tried your code and the default page now works but when i go to .php?id=1 i get the following error:

 

Fatal error: Call to undefined function mysql_num_row() in /htdocs/dev/artists.php on line 22

 

Not sure why this is happening?

 

Note - I also removed one of your '}'s from just before the else statement as I was getting a syntax error.

[radar]

mysql_num_rows -- just add the s

 

but switch statements are key..  they help so much..  using if, else statements just take too much crap and leave too much room for error.

[garry]

Ah thank you very much for your help! I am very new to PHP and still trying to learn the basics Thanks again!

[radar]

np if you have a question of me let me know..  you can email me straight across @ justin@amplifiedwebservices.com and i'll try and help you out...