Ordering

[gple]

I have a list of documents in which the name gets outputted onto a website. I created another column in the table to distinguish which order they should appear in. so I have 10 records and each of them has a different number next to it (1-10) and this will be the order that they appear in. How can I make sure that the user does not put the same number for two different records?

 

 

[revraz]

Make them UNIQUE in the DB Field.

[Isityou]

There should be a better way, but heres a soultion

 

<?php

$sql = "SELECT sort_number? FROM table_name";
$result = mysql_query($sql);

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
    if($user_input == $row[0])
    {
         // We found a matching sort number!!
         die('That sort number has been taking');
    }
}

?>

 

In theory should work.

[rhodesa]

There is no logical reason you can't allow 2 order numbers that are the same. I do it all the time. When you select the records from the DB with the sort, if they have the same number, then the older record will be first. Do you have a reason they can't use the same number?

[Isityou]

Of course theres a logical reason.

 

Say I want to order my pages in order from one through ten. Each page would have its own unique sort number.

[schilly]

You could probably javascript it pretty easy.

[rhodesa]

Sorry...logical was the wrong word....but there is no requirement.

 

And, from a UI standpoint, I would much rather be able to put the same number in twice to move a record then change all of the numbers

[Isityou]

To solve this problem you can store the sort identifiers in an array and when you replace a sort identifier with an existing it pushes the array +1 so you wont have to change every identifier after every new entry.

[gple]

Is there anyway I could make a list and move them up and down in a list and then have the order number change as such.

[rhodesa]

Or better yet, just get rid of the numbers and use one of the many JavaScript dragable libraries

[rhodesa]

Here is a commonly used one: http://demo.script.aculo.us/ajax/sortable_elements

[Isityou]

Yeah a JavaScript draggable list would be a good solution to this problem. You can simply drag and sort.

[gple]

I like the way it works, but then I want to store the order in which they appear into a table so that on the front end, the viewer can see what I order I put it in.

[Isityou]

Yeah, store the order identifiers in an array when you use the draggable list, make a form that send post data to PHP that will then update the database sort identifiers. I've created a draggable list before that changes the sort order of pages, I can show you if you like.