Format output of MYSQL in HTML

[lucy]

I am trying to write a blog for a website. I have written the data entry in PHP and HTML and also have written a data retrival in PHP. The problem is, the data retrival is not formated very well, i.e. it is only text, i cant change the colour, size or anything of it in the PHP file.

 

Could someone please advise me how i can include the php file in the HTML file and then format the output via HTML.

 

Below is my PHP file for data retrival which has a little formatting:

<?

$user="n-web53-blogger"; //specially created username
$password="password";
$database="web53-blog";

//connect to the database
$con = mysql_connect("localhost",$user,$password) or die ('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());

//select the database
mysql_select_db($database, $con);

// query to select all records and convert to result
$query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM table1");


while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($query))
{
$title = $row["title"];
$date = $row["date"];
$message = $row["message"];
$author = $row["author"];

	//print results
echo $title."<br> ";
echo $date."<br> ";
echo $message."<br> ";
echo $author."<br> ";
echo "----------------------------------------";
echo " <br>";


}

//close connection
mysql_close();

?>

 

Please can someone help me in formatting the output via HTML

 

Thanks,

Lucy

[wildteen88]

You just need to wrap your variables in HTML tags, eg

 

   echo "<h1>$title</h1>";
   echo "<p>Posted on $date by <b>$author</b></p>";
   echo "<p>$message</p>";

 

That some basic styling. To apply more you'd use CSS.

[lucy]

thanks a lot that was very obvious once explained!! how can i use a style sheet in the php? can i simply do the same thing i would do to use a style sheet in a HTML file?

 

thanks,

Lucy

[wildteen88]

Yes.

[haku]

The process is basically like this:

 

PHP -> HTML <- CSS

 

Php outputs the HTML. You use CSS to act upon that HTML. The CSS doesn't do anything to the php (it cant - php isn't a 'thing' its more of an 'action', to give a bit of a metaphor.)