php, getting a row from mysql and setting a variable to show a link

Question

ok can anyone see what im doing wrong here? just incase my coding is crap lol. what i have is a members website, the links are made based on wether the user is logged in or not. what im actually trying to achieve is getting the profile link to change by checking what account type the user has chosen at sign up

ive been at this for absolutely hours and im not sure what else i can try, im sure im on the right track but my php skills leave a lot to be desired

anyway heres my code and if anyone can help i would be eternally greatful, forgot what im trying to pass is $logOptions_account to achieve the link and the accounttype field in the database is the enum type if it makes a difference

<?php
/* 
 * Date: january 20, 2012
   *------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
session_start(); // Start Session First Thing
// Force script errors and warnings to show on page in case php.ini file is set to not display them
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', '1');
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
include_once "scripts/connect_to_mysql.php"; // Connect to the database
$dyn_www = $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']; // Dynamic www.domainName available now to you in all of your scripts that include this file
//------ CHECK IF THE USER IS LOGGED IN OR NOT AND GIVE APPROPRIATE OUTPUT -------
$logOptions = ''; // Initialize the logOptions variable that gets printed to the page
// If the session variable and cookie variable are not set this code runs
if (!isset($_SESSION['idx'])) { 
  if (!isset($_COOKIE['idCookie'])) {
     $logOptions = '<a href="//' . $dyn_www . '/register.php">Register Account</a>
 &nbsp;&nbsp; | &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 <a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/login.php">Log In</a>';
   }
}
// If session ID is set for logged in user without cookies remember me feature set
if (isset($_SESSION['idx'])) { 

$decryptedID = base64_decode($_SESSION['idx']);
$id_array = explode("p3h9xfn8sq03hs2234", $decryptedID);
$logOptions_id = $id_array[1];
$logOptions_username = $_SESSION['username'];
$logOptions_username = substr('' . $logOptions_username . '', 0, 15); // cut user name down in length if too long

// Check if this user has any new PMs and construct which envelope to show
$sql_pm_check = mysql_query("SELECT id FROM private_messages WHERE to_id='$logOptions_id' AND opened='0' LIMIT 1");
$num_new_pm = mysql_num_rows($sql_pm_check);
if ($num_new_pm > 0) {
    $PM_envelope = '<a href="pm_inbox.php"><img src="images/pm2.gif" width="18" height="11" alt="PM" border="0"/></a>';
} else {
    $PM_envelope = '<a href="pm_inbox.php"><img src="images/pm1.gif" width="18" height="11" alt="PM" border="0"/></a>';
}
// Ready the output for this logged in user
$act = "";
$logOptions_account = $act;
$act = mysql_query("SELECT accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE accounttype='$logOptions_account' ");
if ($act == "a") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="fanprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "b") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="artistprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "c") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="bandprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "d") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="businssprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "e") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="venueprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "f") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="serviceprofile.php">';}
    else {
    }



$logOptions = $PM_envelope . ' &nbsp; &nbsp;
<a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '">Home</a>
&nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/' . $logOptions_account . '?id=' . $logOptions_id . '">Profile</a>
&nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div class="dc">
<a href="#" onclick="return false">Account &nbsp; <img src="images/darr.gif" width="10" height="5" alt="Account Options" border="0"/></a>
 <ul>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/edit_profile.php">Account Options</a></li>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/pm_inbox.php">Inbox Messages</a></li>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/pm_sentbox.php">Sent Messages</a></li>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/logout.php">Log Out</a></li>

</ul>
</div>
';

} else if (isset($_COOKIE['idCookie'])) {// If id cookie is set, but no session ID is set yet, we set it below and update stuff

$decryptedID = base64_decode($_COOKIE['idCookie']);
$id_array = explode("nm2c0c4y3dn3727553", $decryptedID);
$userID = $id_array[1]; 
$userPass = $_COOKIE['passCookie'];
// Get their user first name to set into session var
$sql_uname = mysql_query("SELECT firstname, lastname, email, accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE id='$userID' AND password='$userPass' LIMIT 1");
$numRows = mysql_num_rows($sql_uname);
if ($numRows == 0) {
    // Kill their cookies and send them back to homepage if they have cookie set but are not a member any longer
    setcookie("idCookie", '', time()-42000, '/');
    setcookie("passCookie", '', time()-42000, '/');
    header("location: index.php"); // << makes the script send them to any page we set
    exit();
}
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql_uname)){ 
    $firstname = $row["firstname"];
    $surname = $row["lastname"];
    $useremail = $row["email"];
    $logOptions_account = $row["accounttype"];
}

$_SESSION['id'] = $userID; // now add the value we need to the session variable
$_SESSION['idx'] = base64_encode("g4p3h9xfn8sq03hs2234$userID");
$_SESSION['firstname'] = $firstname;
$_SESSION['surname'] = $surname;
$_SESSION['useremail'] = $useremail;
$_SESSION['userpass'] = $userPass;

$logOptions_id = $userID;
$logOptions_uname = $firstname;
$logOptions_uname = $surname;
$logOptions_uname = substr('' . $logOptions_uname . '', 0, 15); 
///////////          Update Last Login Date Field       /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
mysql_query("UPDATE memberstable SET last_log_in=now() WHERE id='$logOptions_id'"); 
// Ready the output for this logged in user
// Check if this user has any new PMs and construct which envelope to show
$sql_pm_check = mysql_query("SELECT id FROM private_messages WHERE to_id='$logOptions_id' AND opened='0' LIMIT 1");
$num_new_pm = mysql_num_rows($sql_pm_check);
if ($num_new_pm > 0) {
    $PM_envelope = '<a href="pm_inbox.php"><img src="images/pm2.gif" width="18" height="11" alt="PM" border="0"/></a>';
} else {
    $PM_envelope = '<a href="pm_inbox.php"><img src="images/pm1.gif" width="18" height="11" alt="PM" border="0"/></a>';
}
// Ready the output for this logged in user
 $act = "";
$logOptions_account = $act;
$act = mysql_query("SELECT accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE accounttype='$logOptions_account' LIMIT 1");
if ($act == 'a') {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="fanprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == 'b') {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="artistprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == 'c') {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="bandprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == 'd') {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="businssprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == 'e') {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="venueprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == 'f') {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="serviceprofile.php">';}
    else {
    }
 $logOptions = $PM_envelope . ' &nbsp; &nbsp;
 <!--<a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '">Home</a>
&nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp; -->
 <a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/' . $logOptions_account . '?id=' . $logOptions_id . '">Profile</a>
&nbsp;&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div class="dc">
<a href="#" onclick="return false">Account &nbsp; <img src="../images/darr.gif" width="10" height="5" alt="Account Options" border="0"/></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/edit_profile.php">Account Options</a></li>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/pm_inbox.php">Inbox Messages</a></li>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/pm_sentbox.php">Sent Messages</a></li>
<li><a href="http://' . $dyn_www . '/logout.php">Log Out</a></li>
</ul>
</div>';
}



?>

i am really sorry if im doing something wrong or dumb here but im blind now from looking at this all day and as i said i would be eternally greatful if someone can help

Answer 1

I would like to suggest you something too. It's about $act. You use it as String, MySQL Data set, and again as a Char. So if you use separate variables for different data types here it will be easy to manage. Of course you can do this with PHP. But I think my suggestion is a good practice.

Anyway when considering your code. Can you try changing bellow code.

$act = "";
$logOptions_account = $act;
$act = mysql_query("SELECT accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE accounttype='$logOptions_account' ");
if ($act == "a") 

Here I see couple of issues.

$act = "";
$logOptions_account = $act;

See $act is a empty string. Then you assign it to $logOptions_account. So ultimately your query will be.

SELECT accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE accounttype=''

So you won't get result. You need to change that. I can't predict what are the exact values you have in $logOptions_account.

However if you correct that. You can continue with following kind of code.

$act = "";
$result = mysql_query("SELECT accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE accounttype='$logOptions_account' ");
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
    $act = $row['accounttype'];
    if ($act == "a") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="fanprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "b") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="artistprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "c") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="bandprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "d") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="businssprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "e") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="venueprofile.php">';}
    else if($act == "f") {
    $logOptions_account = '<a href="serviceprofile.php">';}
    else {
    }
}

Above code is just an example for your understanding.

Answer 2

This is complete nonsense:

$act = ""; // is empty
$logOptions_account = $act; // both are empty
$act = mysql_query("SELECT accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE accounttype='$logOptions_account' "); // why you query for $logOptions_account(=$act) only to get $act again?
if ($act == "a") { // it is still empty, not "a"

And to get a row finally:

// make sure, that $logOptions_account has a valid value
$result = mysql_query("SELECT accounttype FROM memberstable WHERE accounttype='$logOptions_account' ");
if (!$result) {
    echo 'Could not run query: ' . mysql_error();
}
else {
  $row = mysql_fetch_row($result);
  if ($row['accounttype'] == "a") { ... }
  elseif ...
}

Answer 3

Normally, you should have only one row for each user, so this should do it ... see the example given here:

http://de.php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-fetch-row.php

Answer 4

mysql_query() returns a resource, not text.

$act = mysql_query // this is not text, so never "a, b, c ..."