The category already exists???

[cturner]

When I test my code that is below it keeps on displaying 'the category already exists' regardless of whether the category exists or not. Can someone please have a look at my code and tell me why this is happening? Thanks in advance. ???

[code=php:0]
require "config.php";
$shortname = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['shortname']);
$categoryname = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['categoryname']);
$arrErrors = array();
if (isset($_POST['addbtn'])) {
if ($shortname = '') {
$arrErrors['shortname'] = 'Please enter a short name for the category.';
}
if ($categoryname = '') {
$arrErrors['categoryname'] = 'Please enter a description for the category.';
}

$sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tbl_articles WHERE categoryname = '$categoryname'") or die ("Could not query because: ".mysql_error());
$check = mysql_num_rows($sql);
if ($check != 0) {
$arrErrors['categoryname'] = 'The category already exists.';
}

if (count($arrErrors) == 0) {
$result = "INSERT INTO `tbl_articles` (`id`, `category`, `categoryname`) VALUES (0, '$shortname', '$categoryname')";
if (mysql_query($result)) {
header ('Location: category_added.php');
} else {
print "<p>Could not add the entry because: <b>" . mysql_error() . "</b>. The query was $result.</p>";
}
} else {
    // The error array had something in it. There was an error.
        // Start adding error text to an error string.
        $strError = '<div class="formerror"><p>Please check the following and try again:</p><ul>';
        // Get each error and add it to the error string
        // as a list item.
        foreach ($arrErrors as $error) {
            $strError .= "<li>$error</li>";
        }
        $strError .= '</ul></div>';
}
}
[/code]

[genericnumber1]

try

if ($check !== false) {

mysql_num_rows returns false on failure...

That's just my guess... I'm not sure

[b]Edit:[/b] That's probably not it, it's getting late and I'm losing my think powah, I'll look at it some more....

[JasonLewis]

with this:

[code=php:0]
if ($check != 0) {
$arrErrors['categoryname'] = 'The category already exists.';
}
[/code]

i always do > 0 for some reason, try that. but after it echo something like 'gets here' then exit(); the script and add one to see if it is getting there. also, run the query in phpmyadmin to see what it returns there.