display mysql table with a field as the main header - php

Question

I have a mysql data table that I am displaying on a php page. It works but I would like them be grouped under the departments they belong to. Also to remove all other field headers such as Name,Phone Email.
I tried using SORT BY but nothing happened.
eg. This is how I would like it to look like
Vehicle Department
Bob 3234234 bob#acas.com
Hanna 3434323 Hanna#asas.com
Workshop Department
Andrew 45454523 andrew#aasdasd.com
This is how it currently looks:
ID Name Phone Email Department
1 Bob 3234234 bob#asasdas.com Vehicle Department
2 Hanna 3434323 hanna#asasdas.com Workshop Department
my current code:
<?php
$db_host = 'localhost';
$db_user = 'root';
$db_pwd = '*****';
$database = 'list';
$table = 'users';
if (!mysql_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pwd))
die("Can't connect to database");
if (!mysql_select_db($database))
die("Can't select database");
// sending query
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM {$table}");
if (!$result) {
die("Query to show fields from table failed");
}
$fields_num = mysql_num_fields($result);
echo "<table border='1'><tr>";
// printing table headers
for($i=0; $i<$fields_num; $i++)
{
$field = mysql_fetch_field($result);
echo "<td>{$field->name}</td>";
}
echo "</tr>\n";
// printing table rows
$temp = "";
while($row = mysql_fetch_row($result))
{
echo "<tr>";
if ($row['department'] != $temp){
echo "<td colspan=\"3\">" . $row['department'] . "</td></tr>\n<tr>";
$temp = $row['department'];
}
echo "<td>" . $row['name'] . "</td><td>" . $row['phone'] . "</td><td>" . $row['email'] . "</td>";
echo "</tr>\n";
// $row is array... foreach( .. ) puts every element
// of $row to $cell variable
foreach($row as $cell)
echo "<td>$cell</td>";
echo "</tr>\n";
}
mysql_free_result($result);
?>

Answer 1

If you use
"SELECT name, phone, email, department FROM {$table} ORDER BY department"
as your query, it will return only your desired columns, ordered by the department column.
Then you can arrange them in your table depending on their department.
Note that you might have to adjust the column names.
Try this code:
<?php
$db_host = 'localhost';
$db_user = 'root';
$db_pwd = '*****';
$database = 'list';
$table = 'users';
$conn = mysqli_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pwd) or die("Connecting to database failed");
mysqli_select_db($conn, $database) or die("Can't select database");
// sending query
$result = mysqli_query($conn, "SELECT name, phone, email, department FROM {$table} ORDER BY department");
if (!$result) {
die("Query to show fields from table failed");
}
echo "<table border='1'><tr>";
// printing table rows
$temp = "";
while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result))
{
echo "<tr>";
if ($row['department'] != $temp){
echo "<td colspan=\"3\" align=\"center\">" . $row['department'] . "</td></tr>\n<tr>";
$temp = $row['department'];
}
echo "<td>" . $row['name'] . "</td><td>" . $row['phone'] . "</td><td>" . $row['email'] . "</td>";
echo "</tr>\n";
}
mysqli_free_result($result);
echo "</table>"
?>

Answer 2

First, you have to process the data to arrange in a structure you want for it.
<?php
$db_host = 'localhost';
$db_user = 'root';
$db_pwd = '*****';
$database = 'list';
$table = 'users';
if (!mysql_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pwd))
die("Can't connect to database");
if (!mysql_select_db($database))
die("Can't select database");
// sending query
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM {$table}");
if (!$result) {
die("Query to show fields from table failed");
}
$fields_num = mysql_num_fields($result);
echo "<table border='1'><tr>";
// printing table headers
for ($i = 0; $i < $fields_num; $i++) {
$field = mysql_fetch_field($result);
echo "<td>{$field->name}</td>";
}
echo "</tr>\n";
//variable to store rearranged results;
$resultsModified = [];
// printing table rows
while ($row = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {
if (!isset($resultsModified[$result['department']]))
$resultsModified[$result['department']] = [];
$resultsModified[$result['department']][] = $row;
}
foreach ($resultsModified as $daptName => $results) {
echo "<caption> $daptName </caption>";
foreach ($results as $row) {
echo "<tr>";
// $row is array... foreach( .. ) puts every element
// of $row to $cell variable
foreach ($row as $cell)
echo "<td>$cell</td>";
echo "</tr>\n";
}
}
mysql_free_result($result);
However I have not tested it but this should work.