SQL syntax?

[galvin]

The code below keeps giving me "Database query failed: 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 'show = 'YES' ORDER BY lastname' at line 3"

 

Can anyone tell what's wrong?  The code worked fine until I added line 3 (i.e. WHERE show = 'YES'). There is definitely a field called "show" in the quarterbacks table and there are plenty of rows that have "YES" in the column.

 

Anyone?

 

 

$sql = "SELECT firstname, lastname, playerid, team, teamid, injured,
FROM quarterbacks 
WHERE show = 'YES' 
ORDER BY lastname";

[galvin]

Figured out that I needed "backticks" around 'show' and now it works fine.

 

Now, can anyone explain why backticks are need in that situation?

[PFMaBiSmAd]

Back-ticks are used when an identifier (database, table, or column name) requires special handling. In your case, show is a reserved keyword - http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/reserved-words.html

[galvin]

Dammit, disappointed in myself for not thinking of that possibility.

Anyway, thanks so much, you guys are geniuses.