Syntax error on left join query

[turpentyne]

It's been a while since I sat down to build some pages and teach myself php. So now that I've started back up, I'm at a loss for what I've done. I deleted a file, and have to rebuild from an old broken version:

 

I have a form that submits a query to the database, but the results pages is giving me this error:

 

Oops, my query failed. The query is:
SELECT COUNT 'descriptors'.* ,'plantae'.* FROM 'descriptors' LEFT JOIN 'plantae' ON ('descriptors'.'plant_id' = 'plantae'.'plant_name') WHERE 'leaf_shape' LIKE '%auriculate%' AND 'leaf_venation' LIKE '%%' AND 'leaf_margin' LIKE '%%'
The error is:
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 '.* ,'plantae'.* FROM ' at line 2

 

But I'm not seeing what the syntax error is.

 

Here's the code:

<?php 
require ('connection.php');

$display = 2;
// it's intentionally only 2 for the moment

if (isset($_GET['np'])) {
   $num_pages = $_GET['np'];
} else { 
$data = "SELECT COUNT
                        'descriptors'.*
                        ,'plantae'.*
                    FROM
                        'descriptors'
                    LEFT JOIN
                        'plantae' ON ('descriptors'.'plant_id' = 'plantae'.'plant_name')
                    WHERE
                        'leaf_shape' LIKE '%$s1%'
                        AND 'leaf_venation' LIKE '%$s3%'
                        AND 'leaf_margin' LIKE '%$s4%'";
$result = mysql_query ($data);

if (!$result) {
    die("Oops, my query failed.  The query is: <br>$data<br>The error is:<br>".mysql_error());
}

$row = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_NUM);

$num_records = $row[0];

if ($num_records > $display) {
   $num_pages = ceil ($num_records/$display);
} else {
$num_pages = 1;
}
}
if (isset($_GET['s'])) {
   $start = $_GET['s'];
} else {
    $start = 0;
}

if(isset($_POST[submitted])) {
// Now collect all info into $item variable
$shape = $_POST['s1'];
$color = $_POST['s2'];
$vein = $_POST['s3'];
$margin = $_POST['s4'];




// This will take all info from database where row tutorial is $item and collects it into $data variable 

$data = mysql_query("SELECT
                        'descriptors'.*
                        ,'plantae'.*
                    FROM
                        'descriptors'
                    LEFT JOIN
                        'plantae' ON ('descriptors'.'plant_id' = 'plantae'.'plant_name')
                    WHERE
                        'leaf_shape` LIKE '%$s1%'
                        AND 'leaf_venation' LIKE '%$s3%'
                        AND 'leaf_margin' LIKE '%$s4%'
                    ORDER BY 'plantae'.'scientific_name` ASC LIMIT $start, $display");



//chs added this in... 
echo '<table align="center" cellspacing="0" cellpading-"5">
<tr>
<td align="left"><b></b></td>
<td align="left"><b></b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Leaf margin</b></td>
<td align="left"><b>Leaf venation</b></td>
</tr>
';
//end something chs added in 

// This creates a loop which will repeat itself until there are no more rows to select from the database. We getting the field names and storing them in the $row variable. This makes it easier to echo each field.

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($data)){
echo '<tr>
<td align="left"> <a href="link.php">View plant</a>    </td>
<td align="left"> <a href="link.php">unknown link</a>   </td>
<td align="left">' . $row['scientific_name'] . '</td>
<td align="left">' . $row['common_name'] . '</td>
<td align="left">' . $row['leaf_shape'] . '</td>
</tr>';
}
echo '</table>';
// row 95
}
if ($num_pages > 1) {
echo '<br /><p>';
$current_page = ($start/$display) + 1;
// row 100
if ($current_page != 1) {
echo '<a href="leafsearch2a.php?s=' . ($start - $display) . '&np=;' . $num_pages . '">Previous</a> ';
}

for ($i = 1; $i <= $num_pages; $i++) {
if($i != $current_page) {
echo '<a href="leafsearch2a.php?s=' . (($display * ($i - 1))) . '$np=' . $num_pages . '">' . $i . '</a>';
} else {
echo $i . ' ';
}
}


if ($current_page != $num_pages) {
echo '<a href="leafsearch2a.php?s=' . ($start + $display) . '$np=' . $num_pages . '"> Next</a>';
}
} 
//added curly
?>

[analog]

The single quotes around the table names and columns should be backticks (`). Also should it be COUNT(*)?

 

This should work:

 

SELECT COUNT(*),
                        `descriptors`.*,
                        `plantae`.*
                    FROM
                        `descriptors`
                    LEFT JOIN
                        `plantae` ON (`descriptors`.`plant_id` = `plantae`.`plant_name`)
WHERE
                        `leaf_shape` LIKE '%$s1%'
                        AND `leaf_venation` LIKE '%$s3%'
                        AND `leaf_margin` LIKE '%$s4%'

 

 

If the variables $s1, $s3 & $s4 are coming from user input make sure to use mysql_real_escape_string to avoid SQL Injection attacks.