Problem returning results into table

[lobster1983]

hi guys, I am pretty new to PHP but i am making a search script. Basically the user searchs the db via 2 fields (which are artist and song title), then the results are returned into a table. The code i have for this is as follows...

Code: Select all

	//set up the query
	if (!$artist && !$song_title)
  {
     echo 'You have not entered search details.  Please go back and try again.';
     exit;
  }
   if (!$artist)
   {
      $sql_query = "SELECT * FROM users_table WHERE song_title LIKE '%$song_title%'";
   }
   elseif(!$song_title)
   {
      $sql_query = "SELECT * FROM users_table WHERE artist LIKE '%$artist%'";
   }
  else
   {
      $sql_query = "SELECT * FROM users_table WHERE artist LIKE '%$artist%' AND song_title LIKE '%$song_title%'";
	  
  }
	
		$result = @mysql_query($sql_query) or die ("Invalid Query: " . mysql_error());
 
 
	echo '<table border="1"><tr><th>Artist</th><th>Song Title</th></tr>';
	
	
	while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) 
	
	{
	 echo '<tr><td>'.$row["artist"].'</td><td>'.$row["song_title"].'</td></tr>';
	 
	 }
	 echo '</table>';
	
?>

When the results are returned, i have a table like:

|| Artist || Song Title ||
Greenday Wateva
Greenday Wateva
Greenday Wateva
Etc
etc

As you can see it repeats greenday down in the left column but i only need to have it once, next to the first song which is returned... i.e.

|| Artist || Song Title ||
Greenday Wateva
________ Wateva
________ Wateva
________ Wateva

(with the ____ meaning blank space:P)

I have been told about using the "group_concat " function, but my host users an older version of mysql meaning it will not work. So i have to find an alternavtive....could someone pleaseeeeeeeeeee help,

Many thanks Lobster

[Pheonix]

Code: Select all

$lastartist = '';
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
  $thisartist = '';
  if($lastartist != $row["artist"]) $thisartist = $row["artist"];
  echo '<tr><td>'.$thisartist.'</td><td>'.$row["song_title"].'</td></tr>';
}

there probaly is a cleaner way of doing this, but it works.

[lobster1983]

Many thanks, it now works exactly how i want it!!