while loop in a foreach loop.... semi-results!

[suttercain]

Good evening fellow insomniacs.

 

I am echoing a mysql database result which is stored in the database as such "Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc"

 

I am using the explode to split the into an array using the comma as the delimiter.

 

Then I am trying to get it so if I click on Superman I am taken to the Superman profile page... Batman I go to the Batman profile page.

 

This is the code I am using:

if ($row['characters'] == !NULL) {
		  $people = explode (", ", $row['characters']);
		  echo "<b>CHARACTER(S):</b><br><font color='#263B5A'>" ;
		  sort ($people);
		  foreach ($people as $key=> $val) {
		  $rez = mysql_query ("SELECT name, character_id FROM characters");
		  while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($rez)){
		  echo "<a href='view_characters.php?id={$row['character_id']}'>" . $val . "</a><br>";
				}
			}
		  echo "</font><br><br>";
		  }

 

It echos out the following:

 

Batman <---Link to id 1 //Not Correct

Batman <---Link to id 2 // Correct

Batman <---Link to id 3 //Not Correct (No link to 3 should even appear)

Superman <---Link to id 1 // Correct

Superman <---Link to id 2 //Not Correct

Superman <---Link to id 3 //Not Correct (No link to 3 should even appear)

 

which is partually correct... but I want it to echo each only 1 time:

Batman

Superman (not three times each)

 

It feels like I am so close but I can't get it.

 

Any advice or suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

[btherl]

Try this

 

$val_escaped = mysql_real_escape_string($val);
$rez = mysql_query ("SELECT name, character_id FROM characters WHERE name = '$val_escaped'") or die(mysql_error());

 

The die() is just to make sure there's no errors in your query.

 

You could do it with a single query as well, which will be more complex but also more efficient.

[suttercain]

Awesome that worked at got me the results. For my own edu-mac-tion... How did that work it out?

 

Thanks! I really appreciate your time.