[resolved] Alphabet sorting?

[wwfc_barmy_army]

Hello.

I am still reasonably new to PHP and I currently have this code to return artists name from a database:

[code=php:0]    <?php
if ($artist == ""){
print "Please select an artist:<br/>";
$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM artist ORDER BY name ASC");
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
echo "<a href=index.php?artist=".$row[artist_id].">".$row[name]."</a><br/>";
}
}
?>[/code]

I am trying to figure out if there is a way so do this; the results are returned in alphabetical order is it possible to get them sorted under each letter without doing a query for each letter, so it lists like:

[b]A[/b]
Aone
Atwo

[b]B[/b]
Bone
Btwo

... Etc etc...

Can anyone offer any advice/code/links?

Thanks guys! :)

[Mattyspatty]

you could use substr to find the first letter and then keep printing the results until the letter changes then print B (or whatever letter it is) and continue.

[code=php:0]
$letter = "";

$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM artist ORDER BY name ASC");
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
    if($letter != substr($row['name'],0,1) {
        echo substr($row['name'],0,1);
    }
    echo "<a href=index.php?artist=".$row[artist_id].">".$row[name]."</a><br/>";
}
?>
[/code]

theres some pretty basci code i just whipped up you'll want to change it as you need :)

[JasonLewis]

your code there isnt even changing $letter. shouldn't you change it to the new one so it can check for the next letter?

[wwfc_barmy_army]

[quote author=ProjectFear link=topic=114075.msg464155#msg464155 date=1162892620]
your code there isnt even changing $letter. shouldn't you change it to the new one so it can check for the next letter?
[/quote]

Any ideas how i would do this too?

Thanks.

[trq]

[quote]Any ideas how i would do this too?[/quote]

Think?

[code]
<?php

$letter = "";

$result = @mysql_query("SELECT * FROM artist ORDER BY name ASC");
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
    if($letter != substr($row['name'],0,1) {
        echo substr($row['name'],0,1);
        $letter = substr($row['name'],0,1);
    }
    echo "<a href=index.php?artist=".$row['artist_id'].">".$row['name']."</a><br/>";
}
?>
[/code]

[wwfc_barmy_army]

I'm getting this error:
Parse error: parse error, unexpected '{' in C:\public_html\dmm\index.php on line 69

Line 69 being:
[code]    if($letter != substr($row['name'],0,1) {[/code]

[trq]

You missing a )

[wwfc_barmy_army]

Thanks guys  ;D Had to change a few more things to get it to look right but it's spot on :)

[trq]

Good. Dont forget to mark your thread resolved.