Problems with MySQL Query within PHP

Question

I have the following code:

<?php
    $host="database.com"; // Host name 
    $username="user"; // Mysql username 
    $password="password"; // Mysql password 
    $db_name="database"; // Database name 
    mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect"); 
    mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB");

    $contact_id = mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['contact_id']);

    $sql="select ( if(month(now()) < 9, year(now()) - 1, year(now())) - year(dob) - if(month(dob)<9, 0, 1)  ) as ageOnLastSeptember from members_family where contact_id = '$contact_id' ";

    $result=mysql_query($sql);
    while($rows=mysql_fetch_array($result)){
        echo $rows['ageOnLastSeptember'];
    }
    mysql_close();
?>

For some reason, its not working and I am getting the following error message:

Warning: mysql_fetch_array() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given in /record_view/index.php on line 4702

[**Please, don't use `mysql_*` functions in new code**](http://bit.ly/phpmsql). They are no longer maintained [and are officially deprecated](http://j.mp/XqV7Lp). See the [**red box**](http://j.mp/Te9zIL)? Learn about [*prepared statements*](http://j.mp/T9hLWi) instead, and use [PDO](http://php.net/pdo) or [MySQLi](http://php.net/mysqli) - [this article](http://j.mp/QEx8IB) will help you decide which. — Kermit, Apr 15 '13 at 14:38
There are already millions of identical questions here...do we really need another duplicate question? :-( — Jocelyn, Apr 15 '13 at 14:39
@Connor you can't be fully sure contact_id is a numerical field, since we don't know the table schema. — Jocelyn, Apr 15 '13 at 14:41

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 15 '13 at 14:39

2

It means your query failed. You would know this if you used error handlers...

$result=mysql_query($sql) or die(mysql_error());

answered Apr 15 '13 at 14:39

Kermit

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score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 15 '13 at 14:39

1

Looks like there is a problem with the SQL try running the SQL direct.

Also look at using mysqli / pdo the mysql functions will be depreciated soon

answered Apr 15 '13 at 14:39

exussum

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deprecated, not depreciated. mysql_*() are not "assets". – Marc B Apr 15 '13 at 14:54

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:50

1

From another SO thread:

In case mysql_query fails, it returns false, a boolean value. When you pass this to mysql_fetch_array function (which expects a mysql result object) we get this error.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:50

Community

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answered Apr 15 '13 at 14:40

Useless Intern

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Please include the link to the other SO thread. – Kermit Apr 15 '13 at 14:50

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 15 '13 at 14:41

For SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE, EXPLAIN and other statements returning resultset, mysql_query() returns a resource on success, or FALSE on error. So the select is not correct. Try it separately in phpmyadmin or the place you have your bd and see if it works.

Problems with MySQL Query within PHP

4 Answers4