username check

[jakebur01]

I am needing to check to see if a username is already in use or not. I want to query my mysql database customer table to see. Fields id, user, pass, email.

 

What would the query and loop look like?

[Ken2k7]

Hello,

<?php
// your database connection
$username = "Ken"; // username you want to check
$sql = mysql_query("SELECT username FROM customer WHERE username='$username'");
$num = mysql_num_rows($sql);
if ($num > 0) {
   // do something => username exists
}
else {
  // do something else => username doesn't exist
}
?>

 

Ken

[jakebur01]

if i put my connection on the page, is their a possibility that ppl can see it? if so, how?

 

why do most ppl use include files?

[Ken2k7]

if i put my connection on the page, is their a possibility that ppl can see it? if so, how?

 

why do most ppl use include files?

Hello,

Well it depends. If you show them the PHP file, then yes. You can't page source the connection data if that's what you mean. And people use include files for flexibility. Say you have a few PHP files that require database connections. Rather than writing it on every page, you just include the file. Also, it makes it easier for you to edit one file than multiple file if you either mistyped your username/password or whatever. Or maybe you changed your password. Then you would have to edit all the files, but with include, you just edit one file.

 

Ken

[jakebur01]

thank you , ken