How to make MySQL data display in 2 columns? - php

Question

I am wanting to make the data to show in 2 columns instead of one here is the code I currently use to show the data in 1 column:
<?php
include("config.php");
include("opendb.php");
$get_cats = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `categories` ORDER BY `displayorder`") or die(mysql_error());
$get_info = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `systeminfo`") or die(mysql_error());
$info = mysql_fetch_array($get_info);
while($cats = mysql_fetch_array($get_cats)) {
$get_rares = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `rares` WHERE `catid`='".$cats['id']."'") or die(mysql_error());
echo("<h2>".$cats['name']."</h2><br>
<table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\">
<tr>
<td width=\"20%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Image</b></td>
<td width=\"40%\" style=\"text-align:left\"><b>Item Name</b></td>
<td width=\"10%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Value</b></td>
<td width=\"30%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Last Updated</b></td>
</tr>
");
$color1 = $info[stripe1];
$color2 = $info[stripe2];
$row_count = 0;
while($rare = mysql_fetch_array($get_rares)) {
$row_color = ($row_count % 2) ? $color1 : $color2;
?>
<tr>
<td width="5%" style="text-align:center;background-color:#<?php echo $row_color; ?>"><img alt="" src="<?php echo("".$info[imagepath]."".$rare['image'].""); ?>"></td>
<td width="20%" style="text-align:left;background-color:#<?php echo $row_color; ?>"><?php echo $rare['name']; ?></td>
<td width="20%" style="text-align:center;background-color:#<?php echo $row_color; ?>"><?php echo $rare['value']; ?> Credits</td>
<td width="10%" style="text-align:center;background-color:#<?php echo $row_color; ?>"><?php echo $rare['lastedited']; ?></td>
</tr>
<?php
$row_count++;
}
echo("</table><br>
");
}
?>
Currently is shows as:
1
_________
2
_________
3
_________
4
_________
5
_________
6
_________
I would like it to show like this:
1 | 2
_________ | _________
3 | 4
_________ | _________
5 | 6
_________ | _________

Answer 1

This really doesn't have anything to do with MySQL at all. MySQL's just the source of the data. You'd want something like this:
$record = 0;
while($rare = mysql_fetch_array($get_rares)) {
if ($record % 2 == 0) {
echo "<tr>"; // if on an 'even' record, start a new row
}
echo "<td>{$rare['something']}</td>";
$record++;
if ($record % 2 == 0) {
echo "</tr>"; // close the row if we're on an even record
}
}

Answer 2

For what it's worth, I encorporated MarcB's code into your original code. You were already doing the mod with your row count. I think you want something like this:
<?php
include("config.php");
include("opendb.php");
$get_cats = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `categories` ORDER BY `displayorder`") or die(mysql_error());
$get_info = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `systeminfo`") or die(mysql_error());
$info = mysql_fetch_array($get_info);
while($cats = mysql_fetch_array($get_cats)) {
$get_rares = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `rares` WHERE `catid`='".$cats['id']."'") or die(mysql_error());
echo("<h2>".$cats['name']."</h2><br>
<table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\">
<tr>
<td width=\"20%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Image</b></td>
<td width=\"40%\" style=\"text-align:left\"><b>Item Name</b></td>
<td width=\"10%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Value</b></td>
<td width=\"30%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Last Updated</b></td>
<td width=\"20%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Image2</b></td>
<td width=\"40%\" style=\"text-align:left\"><b>Item Name2</b></td>
<td width=\"10%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Value2</b></td>
<td width=\"30%\" style=\"text-align:center\"><b>Last Updated2</b></td>
</tr>
");
$color1 = $info[stripe1];
$color2 = $info[stripe2];
$row_count = 0;
while($rare = mysql_fetch_array($get_rares)) {
$row_color = ($row_count % 2) ? $color1 : $color2;
if ($row_count % 2 == 0) {
echo "<tr>"; // if on an 'even' record, start a new row
}
echo "<td width='5%' style='text-align:center;background-color:#$row_color;'><img alt='' src='{$info[imagepath]}{$rare['image']}'></td>
<td width='20%' style='text-align:left;background-color:#$row_color;'>{$rare['name']}</td>
<td width='20%' style='text-align:center;background-color:#$row_color;'>{$rare['value']} Credits</td>
<td width='10%' style='text-align:center;background-color:#$row_color;'>{$rare['lastedited']}</td>";
if ($row_count % 2 == 0) {
echo "</tr>"; // close the row if we're on an even record
}
$row_count++;
}
echo "</table><br/>";
}
?>