function php with while loop - php

Question

Hello i am trying to make function with while loop in php but cant getting write here is my code
function mail_detail($mail_detail){
$data= mysql_query("select * from messages where messages.to = '$mail_detail' and to_viewed = 0 ORDER BY messages.id DESC");
while ($result= mysql_fetch_array($data)){
return $result;
}
}
and out put is
$mail_detail= mail_detail($userid)
echo '<li class="read">
<a href="#">
<span class="message">'. $mail_detail['title'].'</span>
<span class="time">
January 21, 2012
</span>
</a>
</li>';
i am not getting all values just getting one value please help
thx

Answer 1

The return statement is terminating your loop and exiting the function.
To get all values, add them to an array in the loop, and then return the array. Like this:
$results = array();
while ($result = mysql_fetch_array($data)) {
$results[] = $result;
}
return $results;
on the side that receives the array
$msgArray = mail_detail($mail_detail);
foreach($msgArray as $msg) {
//use $msg
}
To add on, a function is only able to return once (except for some special circumstances that you should not worry about). Therefore, the first time your function comes across a return statement, it returns the value and exits.
This functionality of return can often be used to your advantage. For example:
function doSomething($code = NULL)
{
if ($code === NULL) {
return false;
}
//any code below this comment will only be reached if $code is not null
// if it is null, the above returns statement will prevent control from reaching
// this point
writeToDb($code);
}

Answer 2

function mail_detail($mail_detail){
$returnArr = array();
$data= mysql_query("select * from messages where messages.to = '$mail_detail' and to_viewed = 0 ORDER BY messages.id DESC");
while ($result= mysql_fetch_array($data)){
$returnArr[] = $result;
}
return $returnArr;
}
This way you return everything returned because you push it in one array and as your loop finishes, the whole array wil be returned. Because just like xbones said, a return breaks your loop!

Answer 3

harinder,Function(mysql_fetch_array($data)) return an array. That means your $result is an array, so when you recevie the $result at view page you have to extract it using foreach look
like this:
foreach($result as $item)
{
echo $item->user(<-here you have to write the column name ,that you want to retrieve)
}
Hence you can get your all results in array.