Easy method to print something, only once inside while loop?

Question

I want to fetch information from one table and loop that until it's done, with the help of a while loop. Although, I want one column to be printed only once inside the loop.

There's two solutions I've come up with...

<?php $i = 0; // while loop start if($i == 0){ // stuff to print $i++; } // while loop end ?>

And ofcourse, I could just make another query before the while loop.

But these methods really aren't too efficient. Is there a less messy way to do this?

Actually, I'd be okay with running another query before the while loop, if it didn't get so messy, and perhaps if I could just re-use the query intended for the loop (I fetch everything from the table). I tried experimenting with mysql_fetch_field, but I'm not sure I get how it works, or if that even helps here * embarrassed *

Currently, the code looks like so:

$fetch = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `pms` JOIN `pm_conversations` ON pms.ConvID = pm_conversations.ID WHERE `ConvID`='".$_GET['id']."'"); $i = 0; while($print = mysql_fetch_array($fetch)){ if($i == 0){ echo $print['Subject']; $i++; } <table> <th><?=$print['From']?>, <?=$print['DateSent']?></th> <tr><td><?=$print['Message']?></td></tr> </table> }

Rob · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-24 03:42:48Z

3

If I understand your question correctly, I think you've got the right idea. I'm guessing you want to print something extra the first iteration (like maybe column headers using the array keys)?

$cnt= 0; while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($res)) { if(0 == $cnt++) { // first iteration only } // all iterations }

Or, if I'm totally off a better description of what you're trying to do and the real world situation would help.

answered Jun 24, 2011 at 3:42

Rob

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3 Comments

Nisto Over a year ago

Well, that was pretty much the solution I showed in the first post. Anyway, to describe the real world situation: I'm grabbing all information of a table, to compose a conversation. And above the conversation, is where I want to put the subject name of the conversation, so I only want to print that once.

Nisto Over a year ago

Actually, I added my current code. I hope that'll make it more clear.

Ingus Over a year ago

at first i could not understand how this even works, but yeah $cnt is 0 on first enter :)

cwallenpoole · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-24 04:37:31Z

Have you thought about do...while? It has all of the benefits of while, plus it allows for code to conditionally happen before the first iteration.

$res = mysql_fetch_array( $resource ); // run the magical run once query/functionality/bunnies/whatever // Hey, I'm tired. Let there be bunnies. do { // put the regular while loop constructs in here; } while( $res = mysql_fetch_array( $resource ) );

easyb · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-24 04:35:40Z

1

$rs = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tbl"); $row = mysql_fetch_array($rs); do { echo $row['column_name']; } while($row = mysql_fetch_array($rs));

I don't know if this is what you need. Hope this one helps. =]

answered Jun 24, 2011 at 4:35

easyb

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2 Comments

Nisto Over a year ago

Yep! It was as easy as just adding the $print variable outside the while loop first. Thanks.

Nisto Over a year ago

My mistake. Sorry, but this doesn't execute the first PM inside the conversation. I'll go with cwallenpoole's solution instead. Thanks for your help either way.

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