columns of results

[1internet]

If I wanted to display database results in 4 different columns, would that essentially mean I have to run 4 different sql queiries with each of them limited, or is there another way around that?

[litebearer]

what differentiates the content of the display columns?

[1internet]

Nothing, its just returning a list of rows,  but in 4 columns rather than one long list.

[Psycho]

You only run one query. Then you use PHP to format the output using PHP code. You don't state how the columns should be constructed

 

1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8

 

or

 

 

1 3 5 7
2 4 6 8

 

Plus, how will you display them? DIVs, in a table, or what?

[1internet]

e.g.

$q = mysql_query(SELECT * FROM `table`);
<div>
while($r = mysql_fetch_assoc($q)) {
     echo $r['name'];
}
</div>

But how do I split that into 4 divs:

 

<div id="1"></div><div id="2"></div><div id="3"></div><div id="4"></div>, withouth having to do 4 sepate queries?

[cyberRobot]

You could use a counter. For every 4th entry, reset the counter.

[litebearer]

If you elect to use a table layout, check here ... http://forums.phpfreaks.com/topic/11572-multi-column-results/

[AbraCadaver]

Not very elegant, but should give you the idea:

$q = mysql_query(SELECT * FROM `table`);
$total = mysql_num_rows($q);
$groups = ceil($total / 4);
$i = 0;
while($r = mysql_fetch_assoc($q)) {
     if($i % $groups == 0) {
		if($i != 0) {
			echo '</div>'.PHP_EOL;
		}
		$id = $i / $groups + 1;
		echo '<div id="'.$id.'">'.PHP_EOL;
	}
	echo $r['name'].PHP_EOL;
	$i++;
}