Re: Retrieving result of COUNT(*) with PHP

From: Andy Shellam <andy(dot)shellam-lists(at)mailnetwork(dot)co(dot)uk>
To: pgsql-php(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: Retrieving result of COUNT(*) with PHP
Date: 2007-03-28 21:19:25
Message-ID: 460ADBDD.5020205@mailnetwork.co.uk
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See note below...

Mihail Mihailov wrote:
> Hi,
>
> actually, I don't think you need pg_fetch_all.
> I use pg_fetch_row for the purpose. What you get with the SELECT
> clause is one row.
>
> E.g. like this:
> $res = pg_fetch_row(pg_query("SELECT COUNT(*) AS result_count FROM
> etc. WHERE etc.")); //Not a very good style :-), one should check if
> the query runs
> $count = $res[0];
>
> Another way to calculate number of rows in the result is to use
> pg_num_rows function.
> $res = pg_query("SELECT COUNT(*) AS result_count FROM etc. WHERE etc.");
> $count = pg_num_rows($res);

^^ Will this not just return 1? As there is only 1 row in the returned
dataset. Can't say I've ever tried but that's what I'd think would happen.

Personally I'd do "SELECT <primary key column> FROM etc" then call
pg_num_rows.
Although I've never had problems with COUNT(*) working.

Perhaps try doing SELECT COUNT(<primary key column>) as num_of_rows FROM
etc?

Andy.

>
> Enjoy!
>
> Mihail
>
>
>
> Quoting Lynna Landstreet <lynna(at)spidersilk(dot)net>:
>
>> Hi there,
>>
>> I'm trying to use a SELECT COUNT(*) to count how many results would be
>> retrieved from a particular query (as part of the process of paginating
>> search results).
>>
>> But I'm having trouble figuring out how to retrieve the result of the
>> count
>> in PHP. The result on its own is a resource rather than a specific
>> value,
>> but when I try to retrieve the result via pg_fetch_result, some kind of
>> weird math error happens and I get a huge number that bears no
>> resemblance
>> to the number of results the query actually gets when it runs
>> (1,714,608 for
>> a query that in actuality produces three results).
>>
>> I tried using an AS clause (SELECT COUNT(*) AS result_count FROM etc.
>> WHERE
>> etc.) to give the result a name, but that didn't help, and when I tried
>> using pg_fetch_all on the result to see exactly what it was
>> retrieving, I
>> got this:
>>
>> Array
>> (
>> [0] => Array
>> (
>> [result_count] => 1714608
>> )
>>
>> )
>>
>> Again with the weird number. And yet, if I run the exact same query
>> in the
>> SQL window of phpPgAdmin, I get the proper result count (3 in this
>> instance).
>>
>> Does anyone know what's going on here? Can I just not use SELECT
>> COUNT(*)
>> with PHP at all?
>>
>> I originally had the script running the actual query and then
>> counting the
>> results, and then running it again with LIMIT and OFFSET to get one
>> page's
>> worth of results, but it seemed wasteful to do it that way, so I was
>> trying
>> to do it more efficiently... :-/
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Lynna
>>
>> --
>> Spider Silk Design - http://www.spidersilk.net
>> 509 St Clair W Box 73576, Toronto ON Canada M6C 1C0
>> Tel 416.651.2899 - Toll Free 1.866.651.2899 - Cell 416.873.9289
>>
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