Comparison for in SQL row selection not working? - php

Question

This is the code that is not working:
$query = "SELECT * FROM $table WHERE text_id > '$last_id'"; //SELECT NEW MESSAGES
$result = mysqli_query($connection,$query);
if ($result && mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0)
{
//THIS SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING
}
I've verified over and over in phpMyAdmin and the text_id in the table and $last_id are both the integer value '1'. That being said, the condition equates to true every time the code runs.
Am I messing this code up, or is my thinking improper?
Here is entire script:
<?php
session_start();
$alias = $_SESSION['username'];
$host = 'localhost';
$user = '*';
$pass = '*';
$database = 'vethergen_db_accounts';
$table = 'table_messages';
$last_id_table = 'table_chat_sync';
$connection = mysqli_connect($host, $user, $pass) or die ("Unable to connect!");
mysqli_select_db($connection,$database) or die ("Unable to select database!");
$last_id_query = "SELECT alias FROM $last_id_table WHERE alias = '$alias'";
$last_id_result = mysqli_query($connection,$last_id_query);
$last_id_rows = mysqli_fetch_array($last_id_result);
if ($last_id_rows['alias'] === $alias)
{
$last_id = $last_id_rows['last_id'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM $table WHERE text_id > '$last_id'"; //SELECT NEW MESSAGES
$result = mysqli_query($connection,$query);
if ($result && mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0)
{
while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result))
{
if ($row['alias'] === "Vether")
{
echo '<p id = "chat_text">'.'<b>'.$row['alias'].'</b>'.': '.$row['text']."</p>";
echo '<p id = "time_stamp">'.$row['time'].'</p>';
echo '<p id = "chat_number">'.$row['text_id'].'</p>';
}
else
{
echo '<p id = "chat_text">'.'<b class = "bold_green">'.$row['alias'].'</b>'.': '.$row['text']."</p>";
echo '<p id = "time_stamp">'.$row['time'].'</p>';
echo '<p id = "chat_number">'.$row['text_id'].'</p>';
}
echo '<hr class = "chat_line"></hr>';
$last_row_id = $row['text_id'];
}
}
//UPDATE LAST SYNC ID
$update_query = "UPDATE $last_id_table SET last_id = '$last_row_id' WHERE alias = '$alias'";
mysqli_query($connection,$update_query);
}
else
{
$update_query = "INSERT INTO $last_id_table (alias, last_id) VALUES('$alias','-1')";
mysqli_query($connection,$update_query);
}
?>

Answer 1

You should change ;
WHERE text_id > '$last_id'
to
WHERE text_id > $last_id
text_id column is integer and can't be compared like string.