Using a variable as column name in a MYSQL query

Question

I made a table for appointments that works as a form, it shows whether a time slot is free or not and you can reserve appointments from it. This is the code that works ..

$query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM days "); 
echo " <form action=\"change.php\" method=\"post\"><TABLE>";
echo "<TR><Th> Dia <Th> 8 <Th> 9 <Th> 10 <Th> 11<Th>12 <Th> 13 <Th> 14 <Th> 15 <Th> 16       ";

while ($rows=mysql_fetch_array($query)) { 
    if ($rows['08'] == 'taken') {
        $rows['08'] = "<TD id=\"red\" >TAKEN";
    } 
    else {
        $rows['08'] = "<TD id=\"blue\" ><input type=\"radio\" name=\"slot\" value= \"08 $rows[day]\" >$rows[08]";
    }

    if ($rows['09']=='taken') {
        $rows['09']="<TD  id=\"red\" >TAKEN";
    }
    else {
        $rows['09']="<TD  id=\"blue\" ><input type=\"radio\" name=\"slot\" value= \"09 $rows[day]\" >$rows[09]";
    }

    if ($rows['10']=='taken') {
        $rows['10']="<TD  id=\"red\" >TAKEN";
    }

the code goes further to cover all timeslots .. this is an example of how the table looks like .. well ..with the free cells having a radio botton next to them:

           day   08      09     10     11     12     13     14     15      16 
    2013-05-05  free   free   free   taken   free   free   taken   free   free

what i'm trying to do is to automate this . as in creating a loop so i dont have to repeat the same code so many times .. i tried the following but it didnt work:

while ($rows=mysql_fetch_array($query)) {
    $c="08"; 
    if ($rows["$c"]=='taken') {
        $rows["$c"]='taken';
    } 

    if ($rows["$c"]=='free') {
        $rows[$c] = "<input type=\"radio\" name=\"slot\" value= \"$c. $rows[day]\" >$rows[$c]";
    }

    echo "<TR><TD>$rows[day]"; echo "<TD> $rows[$c]"; $c++;
    echo "<TD> $rows[$c]"; $c++;
    echo "<TD> $rows[$c]"; $c++;
    echo "<TD> $rows[$c]"; $c++;

.....and so on ..

I'm thinking the problem is in the way to put the variable inside the row array any suggestions?

That is true ..but the question here is about trying to use a variable as a column name .. — Hussam Sibai
– Hussam Sibai, Commented May 10, 2013 at 22:06
I'm not a PHP expert but can't you do echo "<TD>".$rows[$c]."</TD>"; since . is the concatenation character in PHP. — David Starkey
– David Starkey, Commented May 10, 2013 at 22:12

user2368299 · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-10 22:58:33Z

1

$query=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM days "); 
echo "<form action='change.php' method='post'><table>";
echo "<tr><td>day</td><td>8</td><td>9</td><td>10</td><td>11</td><td>12</td><td>13</td><td>14</td><td>15</td><td>16</td></tr>";

while ($rows=mysql_fetch_array($query)) { 

    while (  $rows=mysql_fetch_assoc($query) ) {

        $res[]="<tr><td>".$rows[day];

        for ($c="8";$c<="16";$c++)
        {

            if ($c<10){$ca="0".$c;} else {$ca=$c;}

            if ($rows[$ca]=='taken') {
                $res[]='taken';
            } 
            if ($rows[$ca]=='free') {
                $res[] = "<input type='radio' name='slot' value='".$c." ".$rows[day]." >".$rows[$ca];
            }
        }
        $res[]="</td></tr>";
        echo implode("</td><td>",$res);
    }
    echo "</table></form>";

edited May 10, 2013 at 22:58

answered May 10, 2013 at 22:12

user2368299

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6 Comments

Hussam Sibai Over a year ago

this doesnt work because it only echos the first column, i need to show the contents of all my columns which are (08-09-10-11-12-13-14-15-16) representing the opening hours

user2368299 Over a year ago

oh, sorry, it must be in line, not vertical?

user2368299 Over a year ago

please show your table structure, and write exaple whitch you want get, thanks

Hussam Sibai Over a year ago

yes .. in the table each row is a day ..while the hours(timeslots ) are columns ...and this is how my database is constructed too

Hussam Sibai Over a year ago

i have edited the question adding a row of how my table looks like

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