Making query show latest updated - php

Question

So I have a script that displays all the topics posted with the information about the topic, I was wondering if anybody could help me make it so whenever somebody comments on it or if the post is edited that it will bump it to the first line echod of the query?
function getReplies($id){
$q = #mysql_query("SELECT reply_content, reply_date, reply_by FROM replies WHERE reply_id='$id'");
if(!$q){
echo 'Error: '.mysql_error();
}
$res = mysql_fetch_array($q);
$q2 = #mysql_query("SELECT `topic_subject` FROM `topics` WHERE `topic_id`='$id'");
if(!$q2){
echo 'Error: '.mysql_error();
}
$res2 = mysql_fetch_array($q2);
if($_SESSION['id'] == $res['reply_by']){
echo '<div class="panel panel-default">
<div class="panel-heading"><b>'.$res2['topic_subject'].'</b></div>
<div class="panel-body">
'.nl2br($res['reply_content']).'
</div>
<div class="panel-footer">
Posted By <strong>'.getOwner($res['reply_by']).'</stong>
on <strong>'.$res['reply_date'].'</strong><br />
Edit | Delete
</div>
</div>
</div>';
} else {
echo'<div class="panel panel-default">
<div class="panel-heading"><b>'.$res2['topic_subject'].'</b></div>
<div class="panel-body">
'.nl2br($res['reply_content']).'
</div>
<div class="panel-footer">
Posted By <strong>'.getOwner($res['reply_by']).'</stong>
on <strong>'.$res['reply_date'].'</strong><br />
</div>
</div>
</div>';
}
}
Comments:
Posts:
Topics:

Answer 1

Try to change your first query and grant it an ORDER BY, perhaps?
$q = "SELECT reply_content, reply_date, reply_by
FROM replies
WHERE reply_id='$id'
ORDER BY reply_date DESC";
It would seem to me also, that you are using two queries, where you only really need to be using one.
UPDATE: Optimized code, try not to repeat yourself, and join queries
function getReplies($id) {
$query = "SELECT replies.reply_content,
replies.reply_date,
replies.reply_by
topics.topic_subject
FROM replies,
topics
WHERE replies.reply_id = topics.topic_id
AND replies.reply_id = '$id' " . //<== PS: You should sanitize this $id parameter
" ORDER BY replies.reply_date DESC";
// You can replace the replies.reply_date column by whatever you end up with for sorting
// Important note - Look into mysqli, mysql is deprecated and too old to be used these days.
$q = #mysql_query($query);
if(!$q) {
echo 'Error: '.mysql_error();
}
$res = mysql_fetch_array($q);
$output = '
<div class="panel panel-default">
<div class="panel-heading"><b>'.$res['topic_subject'].'</b></div>
<div class="panel-body">
'.nl2br($res['reply_content']).'
</div>
<div class="panel-footer">
Posted By <strong>'.getOwner($res['reply_by']).'</stong>
on <strong>'.$res['reply_date'].'</strong><br />';
if($_SESSION['id'] == $res['reply_by'])
$output .= 'Edit | Delete';
$output .= '
</div>
</div>
</div>';
echo $output;
}