Get the First record

[Rick]

Hi all,

Is there a MySQL function to get the first record through a query? I would like to open a page of
client records with the first one shown. The other records can be accessed from a hyperlinked list.

Thanks for any advice,

Rick

[Pedro Graca]

Rick wrote:

Is there a MySQL function to get the first record through a
query? I would like to open a page of client records with the
first one shown. The other records can be accessed from a
hyperlinked list.

Define "first record" :)

There is no such thing as far as the database is concerned. If you want
to retrieve a single record from the database say so in the query:

select *one* record from the database:
select <field, list> from <tables> where <conditions>
LIMIT 1

select *the first record* from the database
select <field, list> from <tables> where <conditions>
ORDER BY <sort, fields> limit 1
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[Tony Marston]

If you only want to return the first row from an unknown number then add
"LIMIT 1 OFFSET 0" to the SELECT statement. Check out the syntax at
http://www.mysql.com/documentation/m...ax.html#SELECT

--
Tony Marston

http://www.tonymarston.net
"Rick" <RB@newsgroup.n et> wrote in message
news:11Y0c.9775 8$Xp.432840@att bi_s54...

Hi all,

Is there a MySQL function to get the first record through a query? I would like to open a page of client records with the first one shown. The other records can be accessed from a hyperlinked list.
Thanks for any advice,

Rick

[Geoff Berrow]

I noticed that Message-ID: <11Y0c.97758$Xp .432840@attbi_s 54> from Rick
contained the following:

Is there a MySQL function to get the first record through a query? I would like to open a page of
client records with the first one shown. The other records can be accessed from a hyperlinked list.

Data is not stored in any particular order in a database. Therefore the
concept of 'first record' is meaningless.

Presumably you mean the oldest record. Either use a field containing a
timestamp or a primary key that auto increments and order the results by
one of those.

For example

$result = mysql_query("SE LECT * FROM table ORDER BY id ");
//default is ascending

//to fetch the first record
$myrow = mysql_fetch_arr ay($result)
print $myrow["fieldname1 "];

//loop through rest of records
while($myrow = mysql_fetch_arr ay($result))
{
//do stuff with records
}


--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

[Agelmar]

Geoff Berrow wrote:

I noticed that Message-ID: <11Y0c.97758$Xp .432840@attbi_s 54> from Rick
contained the following:

Is there a MySQL function to get the first record through a query? I
would like to open a page of client records with the first one
shown. The other records can be accessed from a hyperlinked list.

Data is not stored in any particular order in a database. Therefore
the
concept of 'first record' is meaningless.

Actually, this is not always true... While data may be stored unordered, the
data may also be stored in an ordered manner, usually in the order defined
by an index on the relation.

[michel]

in which case you still are talking about random records, but indexed by an
indexfield....
First record, still is something undefined, whereas record with lowest
indexnumber might have a "first record" feel to it.

Michel

"Agelmar" <if**********@c omcast.net> wrote in message
news:c2******** *****@ID-30799.news.uni-berlin.de...

Geoff Berrow wrote:

I noticed that Message-ID: <11Y0c.97758$Xp .432840@attbi_s 54> from Rick
contained the following:

Is there a MySQL function to get the first record through a query? I
would like to open a page of client records with the first one
shown. The other records can be accessed from a hyperlinked list.
Data is not stored in any particular order in a database. Therefore
the
concept of 'first record' is meaningless.

Actually, this is not always true... While data may be stored unordered,

the data may also be stored in an ordered manner, usually in the order defined
by an index on the relation.

[Pedro Graca]

Agelmar wrote:

Actually, this is not always true... While data may be stored unordered, the
data may also be stored in an ordered manner, usually in the order defined
by an index on the relation.

The key word there is *may*.

And the DB server *may* return the records in the order they are stored.
Suppose you have a table with a ID (auto_increment primary key) column.

You have no guarentee that
"select id from table where id between 7890 and 7891"

will return the record with ID 7890 before the other record; the result
*could* very well be
+------+
| ID |
+------+
| 7891 |
| 7890 |
+------+
and *may* even change between calls to the same query!

So, if need the records returned in a specific order, specify that
order in the select command.
<?php
$page = (isset($_GET['page'])) ? (int)$_GET['page'] : 0;
$sql = 'select id, name, email from people limit ' . ($page*20) . ', 20';
// ...
?>

does *NOT* guarantee you will not see the same people on page 7 as you
saw on page 6 (or does it?).
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[Rick]

Pedro Graca wrote:

Rick wrote:

Is there a MySQL function to get the first record through a
query? I would like to open a page of client records with the
first one shown. The other records can be accessed from a
hyperlinked list.

Define "first record" :)

There is no such thing as far as the database is concerned. If you want
to retrieve a single record from the database say so in the query:

select *one* record from the database:
select <field, list> from <tables> where <conditions>
LIMIT 1

select *the first record* from the database
select <field, list> from <tables> where <conditions>
ORDER BY <sort, fields> limit 1

What I want to do is fill a page that displays record details with some data even if the user did
not select a customer id. I just want to grab one record...either first by id or last name (asc),
but one record only.

The 'Limit' clause as suggested by both Pedro and Tony appears to be what I want.

Thanks,

Rick

[Geoff Berrow]

I noticed that Message-ID: <JB41c.166553$u V3.715478@attbi _s51> from Rick
contained the following:

What I want to do is fill a page that displays record details with some data even if the user did
not select a customer id. I just want to grab one record...either first by id or last name (asc),
but one record only.
Yes but you also said,

"The other records can be accessed from a hyperlinked list."

I assumed you wanted to show the full details of one record and possibly
a summary of all others such that you could simply click them and get
the details of that record. How are you going to create the list if you
have only accessed one row using LIMIT ?
The 'Limit' clause as suggested by both Pedro and Tony appears to be what I want.

Not if I have understood your scenario correctly.

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

[Agelmar]

Pedro Graca wrote:

Agelmar wrote:

Actually, this is not always true... While data may be stored
unordered, the data may also be stored in an ordered manner, usually
in the order defined by an index on the relation.

The key word there is *may*.

<snip>
No arguments. I was just responding to the specific sentence "Data is not
stored in any particular order in a database."