[SOLVED] PHP Sorting

[Stuart]

Hello once again,

I have the following code to sort a bunch of arrays:

PHP: Select all

<?php
$narray[0]="2 Alfred";
$narray[1]="7 Robert";
$narray[2]="3 Deepak";
$narray[3]="5 Teresa";
$narray[4]="1 Joshua";
$narray[5]="8 Chandni";
$narray[6]="4 Sadiq";
$narray[7]="6 Vladimir";
sort($narray);
for($i=0; $i<8; $i++)
{
print $narray[$i] . "<br />";
}
?> 




(This is an example)

It is working without problems, but now I want to apply some php "magic"... I would like to place three links above this code that read:
1) Sort numerically
2) Sort alphabetically
3) Sort normally (the way it is in the script)

Now, when clicked, the links will simply add "?sort=value" to the URL. The "value" is one of the three above.
On my actual page (since the above names are an example) there is a list of 'downloadable' files that are, by default, listed in the order that they were posted (numerically by date - ex: July 10, August 23, October 17). Then, the second link is to sort them by their title (alphabetically by title - ex: File A, File B, File C). Finally, the last link will sort them by the name of the person that posted them (alphabetically by name - ex: Amanda, Mark, Ryan, Wendy). I am sure that I need more than the above code, and probably separate arrays for all three points, but I am not sure of how to do this since I am still new to php .

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
SWagner

PS: If you do not quite get what I am asking, don't hesitate to ask.

[c010depunkk]

Is the list going to static, or dynamically read out of a database?
How long is the list going to be?

[Stuart]

Well, at the moment, I have the list as static html. The problem is, it is not much of a list in terms of using <ul> or <ol>. I just have several divs, one after the other. The divs all have a unique id, so it might still work. But if you think it is better, I can make put each div into a <li> although I don't think that will correspond well with my stylesheet...

The list is going to have a maximum number of 100 items.

[c010depunkk]

I would use a MySql database for this. Put your arrays into a database with the following fields (number,name,timestamp). Then you can just change the query to sort the items:

PHP: Select all

 // sort normal
$query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tablename ORDER BY timestamp (ASC or DESC)");

// sort numerically
$query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tablename ORDER BY number (ASC or DESC)");

// sort alphabetically
$query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tablename ORDER BY name (ASC or DESC)"); 

[Stuart]

Sorry about this: How do you create a MySQL Database. I have never done something like this...

[Marc]

Have you got hosting/xampp?

[Stuart]

I am not sure what hosting/xampp is, but if you're asking if my server has MySQL, then yes.

[alexgeek]

Your server as in you have physical access to it or as in you have to upload to it?

If you are using the command prompt mysql.
Type the following in:

Code: Select all

create database name;

[Stuart]

OK, hold on...
Let me tell you what the whole story is here: Within my website, there is a directory (secure/) which is password protected by .htaccess. In this directory, there is the page that contains the "list" of files that people have uploaded (index.php). The way people upload files is through another page in the secure/ directory (upload.php). This page uses php to transfer the uploaded files into a new folder inside secure/ (files/). OK so far? The files are called and output by index.php in the order that is determined by the "?sort=" value in the URL. Now, to be honest, I have no idea how to do any of this... So, I am going to need a lot of help .

Thanks,
SWagner

[c010depunkk]

When a file is uploaded and you move it to the secure folder, then you insert a new row into your database with the number and name of the file and the timestamp when it was uploaded. Then in index.php your code will look something like so:

PHP: Select all

 $sort=(isset($_GET['sort'])?$_GET['sort']:'timestamp');
$query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tablename ORDER BY ".$sort." ASC");
while($row=mysql_fetch_object($query)) {
    // output file
    echo('<p>'.$row->number.': <a href="'.$row->name.'">'.$row->name.'</a>');
} 

[Stuart]

I don't want to annoy anyone here, but could someone give me the basic rundown for a MySQL Database, how it works, and how to create one? Honestly, I am really stumped ...
All I need is two codes: one to upload the files to a database through a form, and one to call the files from that database and display them in a list.
Like I said, I have no idea whatsoever how to do this (don't get frustrated with me!).

Thanks,
SWagner