Randomising Echo Results

[mrblonde]

Database Version: 5.0.45

 

Hi,

 

I'm having trouble in getting a random order to my SQL query. I know there is post already explaining a way of achieving this and I don’t mean to annoy anyone, but I didn’t understand it. Not the authors fault but my lack or PHP experience.

 

I have read posts about the RAND() LIMIT but i can’t get it to work. It seems to break the echo and there appears to be a consensus that RAND() isn’t the best option anyway.

I have also read about how to implement an alternative, but in truth i don’t really understand how i would implement it with my code. http://www.phpfreaks.com/forums/index.php/topic,125759.0.html

 

I’m trying to get the string in the $result variable to randomise the record order when echoed.

 

At the moment the code below is working perfectly, but the order is always static depending on what I ORDER BY.

 

I’m a real PHP beginner but managed to cobble together the basics of what i need, but this Random issue is baffling me! I don’t want the elements that make up fetched record like image1, state etc, randomised, but the records themselves. Sorry for my layman’s terms, I don’t yet have the PHP vocabulary to properly express myself I suppose.

I’m basically pushing the end result to Flash so it can dynamically populate the various fields within Flash.

 

I do hope someone can shine some light on the issue.

Many thanks

 

<?php
$connect = mysql_connect("HOST", "USERNAME", "PASSWORD");
mysql_select_db("DATABASE");
$result = mysql_query("SELECT price, id, image1, state, locality, listdate, featured, sold FROM table WHERE state = 'berkshire' AND image1 > '' AND featured = '1' AND sold <= '2' ORDER BY listdate DESC");
$intro = mysql_query("SELECT introtext FROM table WHERE catid = 929 AND ordering = 2");
$cant = 0;
while($row=mysql_fetch_array($intro)){
$introstripped = "introtext$cant=$row[introtext]&";
$introstripped = strip_tags ($introstripped);
echo $introstripped;	
}
while($row=mysql_fetch_array($result)){
echo "locality$cant=$row[locality]&price$cant=$row[price]&propid$cant=$row[id]&image1$cant=$row[image1]&area$cant=$row[state]&";
$cant++;	
}
echo "cant=$cant";
?>

[mrblonde]

I'm sorry i posted this twice... I didnt realise the original thread had gone through.

[abazoskib]

<?php

$result = mysql_query("SELECT price, id, image1, state, locality, listdate, featured, sold FROM table WHERE state = 'berkshire' AND image1 > '' AND featured = '1' AND sold <= '2' ORDER BY RAND()");

?>

 

RAND() will become less and less efficient as more rows are returned so be careful with its use. When that happens, you'll need a different method.

[mrblonde]

Hi thanks for the reply and advice. I think Rand will suffice for now.

 

I tried the code you recommended.

 

$result = mysql_query("SELECT price, id, image1, state, locality, listdate, featured, sold FROM table WHERE state = 'Berkshire' AND image1 > '' AND featured = '1' AND sold <= '2' ORDER BY RAND()");

 

I had tried this before but hoped i had missed something. But when run it pumps out the following message.

 

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/fhlinux136/n/norwegianproperty.net/user/htdocs/get/hedmark-props.php on line 25

 

Line 25 is about where the while loop kicking in to return the results string.

[mrblonde]

No sorry it works thanks! I re tried your suggestion and it went through.

 

thanks