Counting empty Cells in a row

[whitep8]

Hi All,

I want to count the number of empty cells in a returned row. Can somebody get me on my way?

Regards

[Atli]

Hey.

I presume your row is just a standard array, returned by a function like the mysql_fetch_array?

If so you have a number of options, like:

• Loop through the array using a foreach loop, checking whether each element is empty or not.
• Do that same, using the array_walk function.
• Use the array_count_value function.

[whitep8]

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

Whilst waiting for a response I came up with checking the string length of the items called:

if (strlen($dev_business_name) > 0) { $count ++; } else { $count; } 

Im fine with while loops, but this is a new one to me. From your suggestions, without testing as im home from work now I have this.......

<?php
$arr = array($address, $telephone number, $dob);
foreach ($arr as &$value) {
    count =0;
    $value = strlen($arr);
    if ($value > 0){
       $count ++
    }else{
        $count)
}
// $arr is now array(2, 4, 6, 8)
unset($value); // break the reference with the last element
?>
 

could this work? Could you help me with the syntax?

Very much appreciated

[Atli]

Your close. You just need to:

• Move the $count = 0; out of the loop, or it will reset on each iteration.
• Use the strlen function on $value, not $arr; to check the current element, not the array itself.
• Reverse the strlen check. (You wanted to count empty fields not non-empty fields, right?)
• Remove the else clause. You don't need it. You only need to count the empty elements. If it is not empty, no code is required.

And that should make it work.

Also, to make improve it a bit:

• You may be better of using the empty function instead of strlen. (That also means a bit of a change to your if statement.)
• You should remove the & from &$value. Passing foreach values by reference (which is what the & does) is only needed when you need to alter the value.
• Remove the unset after the loop. By removing the & (in my last point) it just becomes redundant. The $value will be out of scope and thus be collected by the garbage collector.

[whitep8]

Interesting, I didnt realise php did its own garbage collection?

Ive made a test, incorporating your suggstions. not quite there yet. Hope you dont mind taking a look...

<?php
session_start();
include "confun.php";
$query="SELECT * FROM tbl_dev_dilligence WHERE dev_id = 1";
$result=mysql_query($query);
$row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result); 
 
$dev_contact_fname = $row['dev_contact_fname'];
$dev_contact_lname = $row['dev_contact_lname'];
$dev_contact2_fname = $row['dev_contact2_fname'];
//$dev_contact2_lname = $row['dev_contact2_lname']; 
//$dev_position = $row['dev_position'];
//$dev_add1 = $row['dev_add1'];
//$dev_add2 = $row['dev_add2'];
//$dev_county = $row['dev_county'];
//$dev_towncity = $row['dev_towncity'];
//$dev_tel = $row['dev_tel'];
//$dev_fax = $row['dev_fax'];
//$dev_email = $row['dev_email'];
 
 
 
 
$arr = array($dev_contact_fname, $dev_contact_lname, $dev_contact_fname);
count = 0;
foreach ($arr as $value) {
$arr = strlen($value);
if ($value > 0){
$count ++;
}
echo $count;
?>  
 

[whitep8]

ive a feeling its line 27.... maybe need to have a new var in there

[Atli]

Yea, line #27 overwrites the array with the output of the strlen() function, thus ending the loop. You would have to put that into a new variable.

However, you don't really need that. The output of the strlen() function is only used once - in the following if statement - so you could just move it into the if statement itself.

if (strlen($value) <= 0){

(Also note; if you want to count empty elements, you want to be checking if it is 0 or less, not greater than 0.)

You could also just use the empty() function:

if (empty($value)){