Plz help me to create a dynamic list...

Guys,

I am new to PHP development.I have created small PHP apps with your help. Now I am going to create a new PHP website.For that I need to create a dynamic list.Actually here as a list, I mean features of a product.Amount of feature vary from product to product so the length of the list also should be vary from product to product.I can create a 'dynamic text constant size' list but hard to create a complete dynamic list.I need your kind help to create that list guys.

I have attached a image for your ease of understanding.


If you have a idea please post it here.Because ideas makes solutions.

Thank you

 

Sounds like you need a multidimensional array and a few lessons on dealing with arrays.

$products = array (
          'product1'=>array('feature1','feature2','etc'),
          'product2'=>array('feature1','feature2','etc'),
          'product3'=>array('feature1','feature2','etc')
                         );

PHP:

Check out the array functions on php.net and get comfortable using foreach() and for() loops.

 

Yes friend I appreciate your kind help...

But the problem is I have to deal with around 1000 products there fore I thought about a mySQL solution for this place. but hard to understand a way to create a list using PHP and mySQL because I am a newbie.I mean how to print a list on web page using PHP.I mean a dynamic list.I know I should use a loop since the length of the list vary but I have no idea about a way to print a list on a page after retrieving from the database.


If you have a idea about that please help me.

 

Hi

First read the data from mysql into an 2d array.(remember arrays are actually maps in php)

$result=mysql_query("<your query>");
$rows=mysql_num_rows($result);
$i=0;
while($i<$rows){
$product=mysql_result($result,$i,'<your products column name>');
$feature=mysql_result($result,$i,'<your features column name>');
myarray[$product][]=$feature;
$i++;
}

PHP:

Now you should have something like this.
Array([Product A] => Array([1] => AAAAAAA , [2] => BBBBBBBB) , [Product B] => Array([1] => 'CCCCCCC' , [2] => 'DDDDDDDD'));

As you can see you know have a 2d map, because it's a map its already sorted for you and will respond very quickly with large amounts of data.

To draw the list:

<?
$keys=array_keys($myarray);
?>

<ul>
<?
for ($r=0;$r<count($keys);$r++){
?><li><? echo $keys[$r]?><ul><?

for ($k=0;$k<count($myarray[$keys[$r]]);$k++){
?><li><?
echo $myarray[$keys[$r]][$k];
?></li><?
}

?></ul></li><?
}
?>
</ul>

PHP:

 

Thank you a lot kai555.I'll try this and will update you as soon as possible.If you can please tel me what is the best datatype in sql to store a list.

Thank you again.

 

Hi

it's better to use to table's and select using a join

eg
Table product:
id | product
1 | Product A
2 | Product B
ect...



and then
Table Feature:
product_id | Feature
1 | 'AAAAAA'
1 | 'BBBBBBB'
2 | 'CCCCCC'
2 | 'DDDDDD'


Now you can do a join select

select * from Feature,Product where Product.id= Feature.product_id.

So the list aren't stored as a datatype, but rather as a table on it's own.

 

WoooooW it's wonderful Kai555.Yeah you are 200% correct.I'll try this and will update you as possible as I can.

I double thank you for your help kai555.
Thanks a lot.