[SOLVED] unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING

[cleary1981]

if i try and run this php script directly in the browser i get the following error

 

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING in C:\wamp\www\lookupdescription.php on line 9

 

<?php

require "config.php";


$model = preg_replace("/[\. \(\)\-]/", "", $_REQUEST['model']);
$select = 'SELECT mod_desc';
$from = ' FROM module';
$where = ' WHERE type = \'' . $model' . '\'';

$queryResult = mysql_query($select . $from . $where) or die("Error!".mysql_error());

echo $queryResult;


mysql_close($conn);
?>

 

line 9 is the line: $where = ' WHERE type = \'' . $model' . '\'';

[dannyb785]

Ok the way you did it wayyyy crazy. Your problem is not having a '.' after $model. But the problem is bigger than that. You need cleaner code. Not only so you can do things easier, but you can find errors better and others can see your code and help you out.

 

Here's a better way to do what you're doing:

$where = " WHERE type = '$model' ";

 

Though I will say that the way you do it by breaking it up into 3 variables is very unnecessary and if anything takes up more resources by using 3 variables when you really don't even need one. Just put the entire string into the query by itself.

[GingerRobot]

Your problem is this line:

$where = ' WHERE type = \'' . $model' . ''';

 

You'd make your life much easier if you were to enclose your query string in double quotes; you then wont have to worry about escaping the single quotes around values in the query:

 

$sql = "SELECT mod_desc FROM module WHERE type='$model'";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or trigger_error(mysql_error());

 

I agree with danny with regard to the fact that using 3 variables is pointless. Apart from anything else, it makes it harder to follow.

 

[cleary1981]

I didn't quite understand why I was doing that. I just tried adapting code from a book to suit mine. I made the change you suggested and got the following error.

 

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_VARIABLE in C:\wamp\www\lookupdescription.php on line 9

 

heres my new code

 

<?php

require "config.php";


$model = preg_replace("/[\. \(\)\-]/", "", $_REQUEST['model']);
$select = 'SELECT mod_desc';
$from = ' FROM module';
$where = ' WHERE type = '$model';

$queryResult = mysql_query($select . $from . $where) or die("Error!".mysql_error());

echo $queryResult;


mysql_close($conn);
?>

 

[Wolphie]

Your problem is this line:

$where = ' WHERE type = \'' . $model' . ''';

 

You'd make your life much easier if you were to enclose your query string in double quotes; you then wont have to worry about escaping the single quotes around values in the query:

 

$sql = "SELECT mod_desc FROM module WHERE type='$model'";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or trigger_error(mysql_error());

 

I agree with danny with regard to the fact that using 3 variables is pointless. Apart from anything else, it makes it harder to follow.

 

 

I also like to enclose database references in back quotes.

 

e.g.

 

$sql = "SELECT `mod_desc` FROM `module` WHERE `type` = '$model'";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or trigger_error(mysql_error());

 

I find it makes distinguishing between SQL code and PHP easier.

[dannyb785]

I didn't quite understand why I was doing that. I just tried adapting code from a book to suit mine. I made the change you suggested and got the following error.

 

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_VARIABLE in C:\wamp\www\lookupdescription.php on line 9

 

heres my new code

 

<?php

require "config.php";


$model = preg_replace("/[\. \(\)\-]/", "", $_REQUEST['model']);
$select = 'SELECT mod_desc';
$from = ' FROM module';
$where = ' WHERE type = '$model';

$queryResult = mysql_query($select . $from . $where) or die("Error!".mysql_error());

echo $queryResult;


mysql_close($conn);
?>

 

 

*slightly upset* you didn't do the code exactly as I typed it... check it again

[mmarif4u]

you can try GingerRobot code

OR edit this to this.

$where ="WHERE type = '$model'";

[cleary1981]

Apologies. I just noticed that after I posted. Hers my code now.

 

<?php

require "config.php";


$model = preg_replace("/[\. \(\)\-]/", "", $_REQUEST['model']);
$sql = "SELECT mod_desc FROM module WHERE type='$model'";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or trigger_error(mysql_error());


echo $result;


mysql_close($conn);
?>

 

the error now is as follows

 

Resource id #4

Warning: mysql_close(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL-Link resource in C:\wamp\www\lookupdescription.php on line 14

 

[dannyb785]

you can try GingerRobot code

OR edit this to this.

$where ="WHERE type = '$model'";

 

nothing wrong with my code. clearly1981 clearly didn't type the code, clearly.

 

ah, i crack myself up

[dannyb785]

you don't need mysql_close. Where are you getting the $conn variable from??

[GingerRobot]

cleary1981, i would assume you didn't name your connection $conn. Either way, mysql_close is pretty unnecessary -- php will close the link at the end of the script for you.

 

danny, i do agree that it makes things clear. It's something i used to do, but am beginning to drop. I usually find that correct capitalisation is sufficient for me to follow the query. That said, if things start getting more complex, i do tend to add the backticks back in.

[dannyb785]

cleary1981, i would assume you didn't name your connection $conn. Either way, mysql_close is pretty unnecessary -- php will close the link at the end of the script for you.

 

danny, i do agree that it makes things clear. It's something i used to do, but am beginning to drop. I usually find that correct capitalisation is sufficient for me to follow the query. That said, if things start getting more complex, i do tend to add the backticks back in.

 

what are backticks?

[cleary1981]

Right i sorted that. still getting

 

Resource id #4

 

What does this mean?

[dannyb785]

you're trying to print the resource that was gathered by doing the query.

 

 

A query makes a resource(or we like to call it a $result)

 

A $result needs to be put into $row using mysql_fetch_array().

 

then the variables from the database can be used. But before mysql_fetch_array(), your query is useless.

[cleary1981]

Write thanks guys. heres my code now.

 

<?php

require "config.php";


$model = preg_replace("/[\. \(\)\-]/", "", $_REQUEST['model']);
$sql = "SELECT mod_desc FROM module WHERE type='$model'";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or trigger_error(mysql_error());
$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result); 
echo $row;  

?>

 

if I run it directly in browser i get no errors. But should the result not be displayed. It doesn't show anything

[GingerRobot]

Backticks are what you called back quotes. Never heard them called back quotes -- not sure if its a language thing?

[dannyb785]

I call them single quotes... 

[GingerRobot]

Err, well then what the hell do you call a regular single quote? : '

[cleary1981]

Hi remeber me? 

 

How do I get my result to display?

[br0ken]

Write thanks guys. heres my code now.

 

<?php

require "config.php";

$model = preg_replace("/[\. \(\)\-]/", "", $_REQUEST['model']);
$sql = "SELECT mod_desc FROM module WHERE type='$model'";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or trigger_error(mysql_error());
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
echo $row['mod_desc']."<br />";
}

?>

 

if I run it directly in browser i get no errors. But should the result not be displayed. It doesn't show anything

[cleary1981]

That doesn't work. In my result im only expecting one result from my database does this matter?

[br0ken]

Be more specific please. Do you get any errors? Is anything displayed? Have you tried debugging this yourself?

[cleary1981]

there are no errors. I just get a blank page when i run it directly in the browser. I tried different things on it. All it needs to do is show the description.

[cleary1981]

Surely $row should hold my description so this should work but it doesn't

 

<?php

require "config.php";


$model = preg_replace("/[\. \(\)\-]/", "", $_REQUEST['model']);
$sql = "SELECT mod_desc FROM module WHERE type='$model'";
$result = mysql_query($sql) or trigger_error(mysql_error());
$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
echo "description:".$row;



?>

[dannyb785]

Err, well then what the hell do you call a regular single quote? : '

 

lol I thought you meant single quotes when you said backtick.