Codeigniter / PHP, 2 Mysql Tables, Multiple Queries - php

Question

I have 3 tables 1 is an item table, one is a note table and the other is a note image table.
When a user views item details, all notes are picked up for that item (there is a item_id field in the note table)
The notes can have multiple images attached to them these are stored in flat file but are referenced by the "note image" table.
Now when displaying item details I run a query to get all notes for a item... simple enough, then these results are looped through to output them onto the page.
Problem now arises after adding images to notes, how would you go about querying all notes for a item say
SELECT * FROM notes WHERE item = 1
then how would you loop though the result array getting all note images for a note say
SELECT * FROM note_img WHERE note_img_noteid = 27
Its hurting my head a little because I can't visualize how to get the results and output them in PHP.
---EDIT---
Think I may of got it,
SELECT
d.door_note_id,
d.door_note_doorid,
d.door_note_timestamp,
d.door_note_editedtime,
d.door_note_text,
u.user_name AS created_by,
e.user_name AS edited_by,
i.door_img_id AS img_id,
i.door_img_url AS img_url
FROM
user u,
door_note d
LEFT JOIN
user e
ON
user_id = d.door_note_editeduserid
LEFT JOIN
door_img i
ON
door_img_noteid = d.door_note_id
WHERE
d.door_note_doorid = 214
AND
u.user_id = d.door_note_userid
Then I use this:
foreach ($result->result() as $row){
if(!isset($my_items[$row->door_note_id])){ //the note id becaoms a key
//here you set up an array for all the note details
$my_items[$row->door_note_id] = array('door_note_id'=>$row->door_note_id,
'door_note_doorid'=>$row->door_note_doorid,
'door_note_timestamp'=>$row->door_note_timestamp,
'door_note_editedtime'=>$row->door_note_editedtime,
'door_note_text'=>$row->door_note_text,
'created_by'=>$row->created_by,
'edited_by'=>$row->edited_by,
'images'=>array());
}
//if the note has any images add them to the images array for that note.
if(isset($row->img_url)){
$my_items[$row->door_note_id]['images'][] = $row->img_url;
}
}

Answer 1

Its very hard to know when you haven't post your relationships in a table but taking some assumptions
$query = "SELECT items.id as item_id, items.name as item_name, notes.id as note_id,
notes.description as note_description, note_image.image as note_image from notes
LEFT JOIN notes ON items.id = notes.item_id
LEFT JOIN note_image ON notes.id = note_image.note_img_noteid";
//this wil fetch all you items with description, notes and images, because item can have multiple notes, your result wil have multiple entires of the item. so you have to index correctly to use in views
$result = $this->db->query($query)
$my_items = array();
foreach ($result->result() as $row){
if(!isset($my_items[$row->item_id])){ //you item it becaoms a key
//here you set up an array for all your items
$my_items[$row->item_id] = array('item_name'=>$row->item_name, 'notes'=>array());
}
//here you stroe all images fro a note
if(!isset($my_items[$row->item_id]['notes'][$row->note_id])){
$my_items[$row->item_id]['notes'][$row->note_id] = array('note_description'=>$row->note_description, 'images'=>array());
}
$my_items[$row->item_id]['notes'][$row->note_id]['images'][] = $row->note_image;
}