Mysql update without field names

[jandrews3]

I need to update a particular table and there be a whole lot of field names. I'd like to do it without having to use them the same way you can access then like $row[12] after a "select" query. The standard for updating (at least how I write it) goes like this ...

$query = "UPDATE linguistics SET welcome1='$var3', welcome2='$var4' WHERE language = '$lengua'";

Well, I'd like to do it where I don't have to name welcome1 and welcome2, but instead refer to their numerical position within the database. On a "select" query we can do this. Can this be done on an update? Something perhaps like ...

$query = "UPDATE linguistics SET 3='$var3', 4='$var4' WHERE language = '$lengua'";

... where 3 and 4 represent the 4th and 5th fields respectively. I know that this particular phrasing doesn't work because I've tried it, but surely there has to be something. This will save me LOTS of time. Thanks!!

[mikesta707]

while a numerical reference to a column in an update statement seems to be impossible, why don't you use arrays and a foreach loop to generate your list of columns to update for you