unable to set a query

[jo.nova]

I'm working on modding a Joomla component.  I'm not quite sure, but I'm unable to set a query:

 

// get all the categories that are bound to a content item
	$sql =  "SELECT #__categories.* 
			FROM #__categories
            INNER JOIN #__content ON #__content.catid = #__categories.id
            AND #__categories.published = 1
            AND ( publish_up = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_up <= '$now'  )
            AND ( publish_down = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_down >= '$now' )
            GROUP BY #__categories.id
            ORDER BY #__content.ordering
            ";

	$database->setQuery($sql);
	$result = $database->loadObjectList();

	for($i = 0; $i < count($result); $i++) {

		//get current section id
		$secID = $result[$i]->section;
		echo "Current section ID is: " . $secID . "<br />";


		//query: select all category items that have the current section id
		$sql = "SELECT #__categories.*
		FROM #__categories WHERE #__categories.section = '$secID'
		AND #__categories.published = 1
		AND ( publish_up = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_up <= '$now'  )
		AND ( publish_down = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR publish_down >= '$now' )
		GROUP BY #__categories.id
		ORDER BY #__categories.ordering" or die ("Could not assign query");

		$database->setQuery($sql) or die ('Could not set query: '. $sql);
		$catResult = $database->loadObjectList() or die ('Could not load object list');

                        ...

 

The script makes it to this line, then dies:

$database->setQuery($sql) or die ('Could not set query: '. $sql);

 

Can I not use $database->setQuery within the for-loop? Can't code within the loop reference variables that are in a scope above it?

 

- Joe