"Inventory" for HTML RPG

[Rob Pomeroy]

Check out the PHP MySQL functions reference.  

[Dilbert]

You have my thanks. After I get this working, I'll need to know only one more thing before I can get started on the actal stories. And I'm making sure that no part of my game is "too cheesy to launch". I feel like I'm creating my own game engine; my stories'd better match!

Anyhoo, I've set up the appropriate .dll's to get started. I'm looking at the example and I'm taking notes in a notes.txt file, and I'm making sure nothing can be forgotten.

Let's see... it's called with a $link and I need host, user, and password. According to the STATUS command, my host is localhost, the user is root@localhost, and I know that my password is ********* (not actual password length (I take no chances)).

Correct me if I'm wrong here or elsewhere.

Code: [Select]

echo "<table>\n";
enter the <table> tag and do a line break, right?

Code: [Select]

// Printing results in HTML
echo "<table>\n";
while ($line = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC)) {
   echo "\t<tr>\n";
   foreach ($line as $col_value) {
       echo "\t\t<td>$col_value</td>\n";
   }
   echo "\t</tr>\n";
}
echo "</table>\n";
Uh... echo the table, line break, and... variable "line" is whatever the column is? Then echo a table row, then print out every column in a <td>? Then echo the end of the row and go to next row until complete, right? Then end the table? I think I understand it...

Code: [Select]

// Free resultset
mysql_free_result($result);
Frees memory; I know that.

Code: [Select]

mysql_close($link);
No need to explain that.

So... let's just see how well this works out...

[edit]No, it didn't work. Here's my code (with password censored). Can you tell me where I goofed?

Code: [Select]

<?php
$link = mysql_connect('localhost', 'root@localhost', '********');
or die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
echo 'Connected successfully';

mysql_select_db('inventory') or die('Could not select database');

$query = 'SELECT * FROM items';
$result = mysql_query($query) or die('Query failed: ' . mysql_error());

echo "<table>\n";
while ($line = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC)) {
   echo "\t<tr>\n";
   foreach ($line as $col_value) {
       echo "\t\t<td>$col_value</td>\n";
   }
   echo "\t</tr>\n";
}
echo "</table>\n";

mysql_free_result($result);
mysql_close($link);
?>
The output of that page is

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_LOGICAL_OR in C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs\test.php on line 10

Where line 10 is

Code: [Select]

or die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
It has to do with my login info, doesn't it. I typed my password correctly (i just censored and changed its length in this post) but I wasn't sure about the host. I know what the user is; it told me at the prompt.

And I still love the prompt for no apparent reason.[/edit]

[Rob Pomeroy]

The problem is the semicolon at the end of the line immediately before the "or die..." line.  The "or die" is part of the same command on the previous line.  They can span two lines - that's no problem in PHP, but you must remove the semicolon.

As a matter of style, I would drop out of the PHP parser when outputting straightforward HTML.  It results in code that runs more efficiently.  So your code would be more like this:

Code: [Select]

<?php
$link = mysql_connect('localhost', 'root@localhost', '********')
or die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
?>
<p>Connected successfully</p>
<?php
mysql_select_db('inventory') or die('Could not select database');

$query = 'SELECT * FROM items';
$result = mysql_query($query) or die('Query failed: ' . mysql_error());
?>
<table>
<?php
while ($line = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC)) {
?>
  <tr>
<?php
   foreach ($line as $col_value) {
?>
    <td><?php echo ($col_value != '' ? $col_value : '&nbsp;'); ?></td>
<?php
   }
?>
  <tr>
<?php
}
?>
</table>
<?php
mysql_free_result($result);
mysql_close($link);
?>

Just to highlight one point - see my change "echo ($col_value != '' ? $col_value : '&nbsp;');"

This is a conditional statement.  The bit before the question mark is evaluated.  If true, the result given is the bit before the colon; if false, the bit after.  So if $col_value isn't blank, return its value.  If it IS blank, return &nbsp; instead - an HTML non-breaking space.  If you don't do that, certain browsers will render a NULL cell, with no borders, rather than an EMPTY cell with borders.  This is a good practice to adopt when outputting data to a table cell, if you can't be sure that the data will have a printable value.

[Dilbert]

I copied the code and pasted it into the file. I put my password back in; my only change to the code. However, I got this error:

Fatal error: Call to undefined function mysql_connect() in C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs\test.php on line 9

Line nine is

Code: [Select]

$link = mysql_connect('localhost', 'root@localhost', '********')

[Rob Pomeroy]

You need to turn on the MySQL module in the php.ini file.  Search in that file for "mysql" and you'll find it.    (You'll need to restart Apache after making this change.)

[Dilbert]

I found a spot where MySQL had been commented out. I removed the comment and restarted Apache, but I still get the same error.

[Rob Pomeroy]

Okay, so you've got the line: extension=php_mysql.dll?  You can ignore the extension=php_mysqli.dll (notice the 'i') because you're unlikely to be using that.

Where was the php.ini file that you edited?  In C:\Windows?  Have you rebooted since you made the change?  (Not that it should be necessary.)

[Dilbert]

I didn't know there was a C:\WINDOWS\iphp.ini. I'd been editing the one in C:\PHP\ini-recommended. I edited the one in C:\WINDOWS and restarted the server. Still got the same error.

I'm impressed that you have this degree of patience, personally. I know I'm getting frustrated with me.

[edit]I made a backup of the php.ini file in C:\WINDOWS, deleted the original, coped the php.ini-reccommended in there and renamed it to php.ini. (I can always go back if I need to)

And yes, I removed the comment for extension=mysql.dll. No "I" in it, I double-checked it.[/edit]

[Rob Pomeroy]

I have just remembered another possible cause of this problem.  Under the PHP installation directory, you will find some "extension" files, which are all DLLs.  Copy them to the C:\Windows\system32 folder, and then restart Apache.  Hopefully that will be the last thing you need to do to fix this.

[Dilbert]

Did that, and got the same error. *tears hair out*

[Rob Pomeroy]

Okay, I think we've got to the point where I'd need to get my hands on your system in order to have a good look.  Knowing that your mother will never allow that can you have a look in the event logs to see if they provide any illumination?

[Dilbert]

OK, if I knew where on the event viewer to find them. I repeated the error in hopes of finding a problem. I found a few suspects. Any of these ring a bell?

Faulting application mmc.exe, version 5.1.2600.2180, faulting module unknown, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x00000000.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

[edit]Actually, I'll PM you the other one. It may contain info I don't want public.[/edit]

Hanging application msimn.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, hang module hungapp, version 0.0.0.0, hang address 0x00000000.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

Windows saved user TIMOTHY\Timothy registry while an application or service was still using the registry during log off. The memory used by the user's registry has not been freed. The registry will be unloaded when it is no longer in use.

 This is often caused by services running as a user account, try configuring the services to run in either the LocalService or NetworkService account.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

[edit]No idea if it helps, but the [MySQL] section of php.ini:

[MySQL]
; Allow or prevent persistent links.
mysql.allow_persistent = On

; Maximum number of persistent links.  -1 means no limit.
mysql.max_persistent = -1

; Maximum number of links (persistent + non-persistent).  -1 means no limit.
mysql.max_links = -1

; Default port number for mysql_connect().  If unset, mysql_connect() will use
; the $MYSQL_TCP_PORT or the mysql-tcp entry in /etc/services or the
; compile-time value defined MYSQL_PORT (in that order).  Win32 will only look
; at MYSQL_PORT.
mysql.default_port =

; Default socket name for local MySQL connects.  If empty, uses the built-in
; MySQL defaults.
mysql.default_socket =

; Default host for mysql_connect() (doesn't apply in safe mode).
mysql.default_host =

; Default user for mysql_connect() (doesn't apply in safe mode).
mysql.default_user =

; Default password for mysql_connect() (doesn't apply in safe mode).
; Note that this is generally a *bad* idea to store passwords in this file.
; *Any* user with PHP access can run 'echo get_cfg_var("mysql.default_password")
; and reveal this password!  And of course, any users with read access to this
; file will be able to reveal the password as well.
mysql.default_password =

; Maximum time (in secondes) for connect timeout. -1 means no limit
mysql.connect_timeout = 60

; Trace mode. When trace_mode is active (=On), warnings for table/index scans and
; SQL-Errors will be displayed.
mysql.trace_mode = Off[/edit]

[Dilbert]

Um... he-hello?

[Rob Pomeroy]

Have you definitely got an uncommented line as follows?

extension=php_mysql.dll

If not, does this FAQ resolve your problem?

None of the errors you've posted/PMed are related to this problem, by the way.

[Dilbert]

Have you definitely got an uncommented line as follows?

extension=php_mysql.dll

Yes:

If not, does this FAQ resolve your problem?

I'm afraid not. It almost helps, but it's dealing with the actual getting of the database, etc., and I'm having trouble on the login li - that's it! The login details must be incorrect! How can I check on the host and user name?

None of the errors you've posted/PMed are related to this problem, by the way.

 :-/