Check the value from DBand pass it to next page - php

Question

I have a field ,if user enters data it should go and check db if it is present it should redirect to next page.
But here i m not sure whether it is checking the db but mysql query is correct.
$ThirdPartyCategoryName =$_POST['ThirdPartyCategoryName'];
$activate = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `thirdpartycategorymaster` WHERE `delete` = 'y' ");
if($activate=='y')
{
header("location:catact.php");
}
else
{
//$activate=='NULL';
header("location:tp_home.php");
}

Answer 1

mysql_query returns a ressource that you need to parse with function such as mysel_fetch_array. Your first condition will always be false, you have to parse the ressource before comparing the result contained in it.
$ressource = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `thirdpartycategorymaster` WHERE `delete` = 'y'");
$firstLine = mysql_fetch_array($ressource);
if ($firstLine && $firstLine['delete'] == 'y') {
// There is an entry with delete = y
} else {
// There is no entry with delete = y
}
This code could also be simplify to just this :
$ressource = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `thirdpartycategorymaster` WHERE `delete` = 'y'");
if (mysql_fetch_array($ressource)) {
// There is an entry with delete = y
} else {
// There is no entry with delete = y
}
Or also :
$ressource = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `thirdpartycategorymaster` WHERE `delete` = 'y'");
if (mysql_num_rows($ressource) > 0) {
// There is an entry with delete = y
} else {
// There is no entry with delete = y
}