Using a while loop, how can I display the last five entries into the database?

[jdock1]

I am using a while loop to display the database entries. Now how could I make it display the LAST five entries into the database?

 

Ive been coding all day and I have writers block or something! I cant think.

 

Also, how could I make PHP count how many entries there are in the database? For example, I want to put up on my page how many signatures have been added to the database. How could I do this? I have been searching around everywhere and still couldnt find a solution.

[Pikachu2000]

Do you have an auto-incremented index field?

[Adam]

Look into the MySQL "LIMIT" clause. E.g.

 

select * from your_table limit 0, 5

 

That selects only the first 5 rows matched. In order to return the last five, you will need to "ORDER BY" a chronological field; either an auto incrementing number, or a date field. E.g.

 

select * from your_table order by entry_id limit 0, 5

select * from your_table order by entry_date limit 0, 5

[jdock1]

Look into the MySQL "LIMIT" clause. E.g.

 

select * from your_table limit 0, 5

 

That selects only the first 5 rows matched. In order to return the last five, you will need to "ORDER BY" a chronological field; either an auto incrementing number, or a date field. E.g.

 

select * from your_table order by entry_id limit 0, 5

select * from your_table order by entry_date limit 0, 5

Thanks!

Now how could I track how many entries there are in the database and echo it?

[BillyBoB]

That would be mysql_num_rows

 

<?php
$result = mysql_query("select * from your_table order by entry_date"); //you wouldn't want to limit this query.
$rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
echo $rows;
?>

 

Good luck!

[snizkorod]

the ORDER BY column DESC LIMIT 0,15 clause can help you.

 

If you have an auto_increment column, you can use that.

[jdock1]

That would be mysql_num_rows

 

<?php
$result = mysql_query("select * from your_table order by entry_date"); //you wouldn't want to limit this query.
$rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
echo $rows;
?>

 

Good luck!

Thanks, but for some reason I am getting an access denied error (using password NO) even know I established a connection to the database properly..? Its saying the error is on line 4, where the $result variable is being defined.

 

Why would it be giving me that error?

 

My code:

 

<?php
$db = mysqli_connect('localhost', 'adsco_ptn', 'password', 'adsco_petitions')
or die('Error: Could not connect to database!');
$result = mysql_query("select * from signatures order by first"); //you wouldn't want to limit this query.
$rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
echo $rows;

 

Error:

 

Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: Access denied for user 'adsco'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in /home/adsco/public_html/google/count.php on line 4

 

Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: A link to the server could not be established in /home/adsco/public_html/google/count.php on line 4

 

Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/adsco/public_html/google/count.php on line 5

 

[BillyBoB]

Well that says you didn't put your password in correctly.

[kenrbnsn]

You're connecting with mysqli, but you're using mysql for the rest of the code. They are different ways of accesses the database. Pick one or the other.

 

Ken

[Adam]

That would be mysql_num_rows

 

<?php
$result = mysql_query("select * from your_table order by entry_date"); //you wouldn't want to limit this query.
$rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
echo $rows;
?>

 

Good luck!

 

"you wouldn't want to limit this query".. why exactly?

[Pikachu2000]

It shouldn't be limited because he asked how to "track how many entries are in the database."

 

Which also brings up that mysql_num_rows() isn't the best way to do that. A SELECT COUNT() query  more efficient when simply returning the number of records in a table.

[Adam]

In that situation you'd perform a count query first, then another query to return the limited results.

[Pikachu2000]

In that situation you'd perform a count query first, then another query to return the limited results.

 

Zacly.