Multiple Dates

[BrandonE97]

I have multiple dates the same in my database but I only need each date shown once. If I have two entried under july7 then it shows july7 two times on my page. Is there a way to only show each date once? Thanks.

[Barand]

Yes, but the method would depend on the context in which you want to show the date once.

 

Some code would be useful.

[akitchin]

this is a matter of keeping a running tab on what date you're currently on, and only echoing it if it's different from the last:

 

while ($stuff = stuff)
{
  // echo this row's value if it differs from the last value
  if ($last_loop_val != $stuff['this_loop_val'])
  {
    echo 'new value: '.$stuff['this_loop_val'];
  }

  // do your stuff here

  // assign the last value to this value for the next loop
  $last_loop_val = $stuff['this_loop_val'];
}

 

EDIT:  you and your speedy typing, barand.

[BrandonE97]

Okay, that works great but also is there a way to keep the months in a certain order. Kind of like ORDER BY but in a specific order?

[Barand]

My reply was a bit shorter - I wasn't sure if he was doing something like that or if SELECT DISTINCT would suffice.

[akitchin]

you'd have to translate your month into its ordered value, and order on that:

 

SELECT stuff, (CASE DATE_FORMAT(row_date, 'something') WHEN something THEN 1, WHEN something_else THEN 2, WHEN something_even_elser THEN 3) AS order_key ORDER BY order_key ASC

 

what you use in DATE_FORMAT() depends on in what way you want to assign orders.  if it's month, you'll probably want to use %b or %c.  see the manual for the differences.

 

don't know if this is the most efficient way, so i'm hoping an SQL guy comes around and suggests a better way (or validates this one).

[BrandonE97]

Thanks guys for your help. I'll be trying this code tomorrow when I get back home lol. Many Thanks (Im still learning a lot of this stuff)

[Barand]

If you want to treat the the year and date as separate fields you can

 

SELECT YEAR(row_date) as yr, MONTHNAME(row_date) as mname, ....