trouble with select statement

[jakebur01]

I am having trouble making this work. I am trying to select a row if any of the three columns matches $breed.

 $result3 = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM dog_account WHERE primary = '$breed' or secondary = '$breed' or third = '$breed' ", $db) or die(mysql_error());

[ILYAS415]

what actually happens?

[jakebur01]

You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'primary = '111' or secondary = '111' or third = '111'' at line 1

[BlueSkyIS]

primary is a MySQL reserved word. you shouldn't use it as a column name.

[jakebur01]

That got it! Thank you!!

[gizmola]

With that said you can use reserved words as column names, but you have to enclose them like so:  `primary`.

 

Now to the bigger question --- your table structure has implemented the classic repeating group (primary, secondary, third) which I assume from the example is a foreign key to a Breed table.  Really that should be a many to many.

 

 

Tables should be dog_account, breed, dog_breed, where dog_breed is something like:  (dog_id, breed_id, percent).

 

Then you wouldn't have to construct ugly or queries like the one you're doing now.