Problem with array - php

Question

I am running into issues with the following code:
$ids = '"' . implode('", "', $crumbs) . '"';
$motd = array();
$dober = $db->query("SELECT id, name, msg, datetime FROM tbl_depts td INNER JOIN tbl_motd tm ON td.id = tm.deptid WHERE td.id IN (" . $ids . ")");
while ($row = $dober->fetch_array()) {
$motd[] = $row;
}
A print_r reveals this:
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[0] => 1
[id] => 1
[1] => Management
[name] => Management
[2] => New Management Rule!
[msg] => New Management Rule!
[3] =>
[datetime] =>
)
[1] => Array
(
[0] => 2
[id] => 2
[1] => Human Resources
[name] => Human Resources
[2] => DPS
[msg] => DPS
[3] =>
[datetime] =>
)
)
As such, I cannot use this code to generate things:
foreach ($motd[] as &$value) {
if ($motd['msg'] != "") {
if ($i == 0) {
?>
<li><a href="#" title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
class="tab active"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>
<?
} elseif ($i == $len - 1) {
?>
<li><a href="#" title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
class="tab"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>
<?php } else { ?>
<li><a href="#" title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
class="tab"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>
<?
}
$i++;
}
}
Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here?
EDIT: you might find it easier to understand if you read this first: Optimize this SQL query

Answer 1

First - your code will not work because of this two lines:
foreach ($motd[] as &$value) {
if ($motd['msg'] != "") {
You should use $motd, not $motd[] in foreach and check $value['msg'], not $motd['msg']
Second, try to use mysql_fetch_assoc instead of mysql_fetch_array
Third - there is no initial value for $i.

Answer 2

1.) You might have an issue with foreach ($motd[] as &$value) {
perhaps it should be foreach ($motd as &$value) {
2.) I would rather use a for() loop instead of a foreach.
for($a=0, $cnt=count($motd)-1; $a<=$cnt; $a++ )
{
if($motd[$a]["msg"] != "" )
{
#do something here
}
}

Answer 3

I have rewritten your code a bit. No need to define the whole HTML several times only because there is a small change in it (I only spotted active).
$i=0;
foreach ($motd as $value) {
if ($value['msg'] != "") {
$active = $i == 0 ? ' active' : ''; //based on the value of `$i`
?>
<li>
<a href="#"
title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
class="tab<?php echo $active?>"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>
<?php
$i++;
}
}
As I noted in the comments earlier:
In foreach you have to specify the array itself, you do not need [].
Always initialize your $i.
You do not need &$value, you only need that reference if you want to modify your array in the foreach.