Working on a Newsfeed

[Don]

Hi everyone,

I am working on a newsfeed mod that will display (in ticker tape style) the contents of 'class_products/shortDescription' and 'class_products/price'. When user clicks on ticker tape scroller they will be taken to that listing (viewlisting.php).

Can someone check the following script for me, please.
Thanks

PHP Code:

<?php
// Connect To Database

$db = "databasename";
$db_host = "localhost";
$db_user = "databaseusername";
$db_pass = "databasepassword";
$con = mysql_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass)or die("Connect Error: ".mysql_error());
mysql_select_db($db, $con);

// Start Building JavaScript

$out_js = "feedno=newfeedtype('#000066',\"My Web Site\",\"http://www.mywebsite.com\");\n";

// MySQL Query

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM products ORDER BY datestamp DESC LIMIT 5");

// Build JavaScript for each item

while ($row = mysql_fetch_object($result)) {
$this_date = getdate();

$out_js .= "newstory(\"".$this_date['mday']."/".$this_date['mon']."/".$this_date['year']."\",\"viewlisting.php?id=".$row->id."\",\"".$row->shortDescription."\",\"".$row->price."\");\n";
}
// Close Connection To Database

mysql_free_result($result);
mysql_close($con);

// Send JavaScript

echo $out_js;
?>

[Lhotch]

At a glance it looks alright, id say go ahead and test it.

One thing I would recommend though is in the DB query, only select the fields you need. No sense grabbing all the fields if you only need a couple. Also I would recommend a "WHERE" clause so that it only grabs items that are set to display (ie they are authorized and not expired. Something like this...

SELECT shortDescription, dateadded, expiration, display FROM products WHERE expiration > NOW() AND display = 'Y' ORDER BY dateadded

[Don]

Thanks, Larry,

I can't get it to work and I think the fault is in this script rather than the .js it is feeding. The reason I asked you to take a look at it is because I don't understand PHP...this was put together after the old style of 'monkey see, monkey do'

Thanks,
Don.

[Lhotch]

What I would do is have the above code in its own php file. Then point a browser to it for debugging purposes.

Couple things, first move your date line above the loop, you dont need to do it every iteration of the loop since the result will all be the same day. Next if your looking to just get day/month/year I think your over complicating things all you need to do is this.

$this_date = date("d/m/Y");

In your while loop I would simple add an echo of $out_js to see if your query is returning anything. something like this...

PHP Code:

while ($row = mysql_fetch_object($result)) {
$out_js .= "newstory(\"".$this_date."\",\"viewlisting.php?id=".$row->id."\",\"".$row->shortDescription."\",\"".$row->price."\");\n";
//for debugging
echo $out_js . "<br />";
} // end while loop 


On each iteration of the while loop you should see something printed on the screen.

[Don]

OK. I made a php file, pointed my browser at it and I got this:-

Warning: mysql_fetch_object(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /xxx/xxx/htdocs/newsfeed.php on line 22

Warning: mysql_free_result(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in xxx/xxx/htdocs/newsfeed.php on line 33

I'm totaly in the dark here

[Lhotch]

Post the code you now have in your file so I can see what line the errors are referring to exactly.

[Don]

Thanks.
You will see that I have resorted to the original date method because I think it is to do with the way the .js deals with it.

newsfeed.php

<?php
// Connect To Database

$db = "XXX";
$db_host = "localhost";
$db_user = "XXX";
$db_pass = "XXX";
$con = mysql_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass)or die("Connect Error: ".mysql_error());
mysql_select_db($db, $con);

// Start Building JavaScript

$out_js = "feedno=newfeedtype('#000066',\"ReTex International\",\"http://www.mysite.co.uk\");\n";

// MySQL Query

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM products ORDER BY datestamp DESC LIMIT 10");

// Build JavaScript for each item

while ($row = mysql_fetch_object($result)) {
$out_js .= "newstory(\"".$this_date['mday']."/".$this_date['mon']."/".$this_date['year']."\",\"viewlisting.php?id=".$row->id."\",\"".$row->shortDescription."\",\"".$row->price."\");\n";
$this_date = getdate();
}

//while ($row = mysql_fetch_object($result)) {
//$out_js .= "newstory(\"".$this_date."\",\"viewlisting.php?id= " .$row->id."\",\"".$row->shortDescription."\",\"".$row->price."\");\n";
//for debugging
echo $out_js . "<br />";
// end while loop




// Close Connection To Database

mysql_free_result($result);
mysql_close($con);

// Send JavaScript

echo $out_js;
?>

Resulting in:-

Warning: mysql_fetch_object(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /usr/home/retex-international.co.uk/htdocs/newsfeed.php on line 21
feedno=newfeedtype('#000066',"ReTex International","http://www.retex-international.co.uk");

Warning: mysql_free_result(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /usr/home/retex-international.co.uk/htdocs/newsfeed.php on line 37
feedno=newfeedtype('#000066',"ReTex International","http://www.mysite.co.uk");

Thanks.

[Lhotch]

Don, you are getting the "supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource" error because your query is failing.

You query is.....

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM products ORDER BY datestamp DESC LIMIT 10");

"products" is not a complete table name. When you did the installation I beleive there was a prompt for a table prefix which defaulted to class but you may have changed it. The actual table name should be "class_products" so your query should look like this...

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM class_products ORDER BY datestamp DESC LIMIT 10");

Additionally you should put in some error checking so it looks like this....

PHP Code:

if(!$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM class_products ORDER BY datestamp DESC LIMIT 10"){
      die('Invalid query: ' . mysql_error());
} 


[Don]

I now get:-
Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_EXIT in /usr/home/retex-international.co.uk/htdocs/newsfeed.php on line 17

Line 17 =

PHP Code:

die('Invalid query: ' . mysql_error()); 


[Lhotch]

Originally Posted by Don

I now get:-
Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_EXIT in /usr/home/retex-international.co.uk/htdocs/newsfeed.php on line 17

Line 17 =

PHP Code:

die('Invalid query: ' . mysql_error()); 


Do you have the curly brace at the end of the qury line and then the closing curly brace after the "die" statement?