"transforming" a table list to a comma-separeted list instead?

[xwishmasterx]

I have the following code that obviously displays a table with some name:

 

 $cast = $movie->cast();
  if (!empty($cast)) {
    ++$rows;
    echo '<TR><TD valign=top><B>Cast:</B></TD><TD>';
    echo "<table align='left' border='1' style='border-collapse:collapse;background-color:#ddd;'><tr><th style='background-color:#07f;'>Actor</th><th style='background-color:#07f;'>Role</th></tr>";
    for ($i = 0; $i < count($cast); $i++) {
	  echo '<tr><td width=200>';
      echo "<a href='person.php?engine=$engine&mid=".$cast[$i]["imdb"]."'>";
      echo $cast[$i]["name"].'</a></td><td>';
      echo $cast[$i]["role"]."</td></tr>";  

    }
    echo "</table></td></tr>\n";
  }
 
  flush();

 

How can I display this as a comma seperated list? I only need the "names" ($cast[$i]["name"]) and nothing else as one sinle list with commas.

 

[Psycho]

Well, it depends. If the list is small and the total length will be less than 1024 characters, you can do it directly in the query using GROUP_CONCAT(). Otherwise, you can just process the result set into an array and use implode().

 

Using query

 

SELECT GROUP_CONCAT(field1) as field1List
FROM table_name
GROUP BY field2

 

Using PHP

 

$field1Values = array();
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
    $field1Values[] = $row['field1'];
}
 
$field1List = implode(', ', $field1Values);

Edited March 27, 2013 by Psycho

[xwishmasterx]

Thanks for the fast reply Psycho:)

 

I think I was a little fast on the opening question, so please allowe me explain what I actually are trying to achieve here.

Further down my little script I need to write this comma separated list to a simple txt file (I'm no wizard at this but so far this works well):

 

$stringData = MY-COMMA-SEPERATED-LIST-SHUOLD-BE-HERE;
fwrite($fh, $stringData);

 

My main problem is I have no clue how to transform my list to something that works here :/

[Psycho]

My main problem is I have no clue how to transform my list to something that works here :/

 

Did you try either of my suggestions?

 

EDIT: I could have sworn your original question mentioned getting the records from the database, but I see you state they are in an array. But, I see the values are in an array with each value in different sub-arrays. So, you can to put the values in a single-dimensional array and then implode them. Basically what I already suggested in option 2.

 

 

$names = array();
foreach($cast as $record)
{
    $names[] = $record['name'];
}
$stringData = implode(', ', $names);

Edited March 27, 2013 by Psycho

[davidannis]

I think that if you use Psycho's code the list is in the variable $field1List then just

$field1Values = array();
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result))
{
    $field1Values[] = $row['field1'];
}
 
$field1List = implode(', ', $field1Values);

fwrite ($fh, $field1List);

Edited March 27, 2013 by davidannis

[xwishmasterx]

Sorry Psycho. I'm not getting these results from my own database. I'm wondering how I can "add" this part of the code (the results)

 

$cast[$i]["name"]

 

to the last part of code:

 

$stringData =  $cast[$i]["name"] ;

fwrite($fh, $stringData);

 

 

basically what I want, but obviously not working

[Psycho]

Sorry Psycho. I'm not getting these results from my own database. I'm wondering how I can "add" this part of the code (the results)

Please see the edit in my last response.

[xwishmasterx]

That works just perfect!

Thank you so much for taking time to help a novice!