mysql_fetch_assoc

[bytesFTW99]

Ok I have a problem! i have a mysql_fetch_assoc that does not recognize the NULL value of the column. however, i want this null to be picked up so i can use it. how can i go about doing that?

while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
 
echo "<customer_id>" . $row['customer_id'] . "</customer_id>";
 echo "<gender>" . $row['gender'] . "</gender>";//
 echo "<language>" . $row['language'] . "</language>";//
 echo "<birthdate>" . $row['birthdate'] . "</birthdate>";//
 echo "<contact_id>" . $row['contact_id'] . "</contact_id>";//
 echo "<insur1_id>" . $row['insur1_id'] . "</insur1_id>";//
 echo "<insur2_id>" . $row['insur2_id'] . "</insur2_id>";//
 echo "<guardian_id>" . $row['guardian_id'] . "</guardian_id>"; //this value is null
 echo "<hearloss_id>" . $row['hearloss_id'] . "</hearloss_id>";
 echo "<equipment_id>" . $row['equipment_id'] . "</equipment_id>";
 

! get data out of this array but it does not recognize the null fields at all.

[Atli]

Hi.

I'm assuming the row is printed, but the NULL field is simply empty?

If that is the case, then that is precisely what is supposed to happen. A NULL is not really a value. It represents that there is no value.
So, when you tell PHP to print a null, it will print nothing.

If you want it to print something, rather than nothing, then you must tell PHP what it is supposed to print. For example:

while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
  $value = ($row['value'] == null ? "NULL" : $row['value']);
  echo "$value\r\n";
}
 

Which would give you a list of values fetched via a query, substituting null fields with the word "NULL".