PHP: Number of rows in DB table?

[terralos]

Little frustrated over what seems like should be easy...

Starting with this:
===========================================
$NUMROWS = mysql_query("select count(*) from questions");
echo "NUMROWS = $NUMROWS <br>";

echo get_resource_type($NUMROWS), "<br>";

$COUNTER = mysql_fetch_array($NUMROWS);
if ($COUNTER)
echo "COUNTER = $COUTNER";

echo "<br> fart";
===========================================
My output is this:
===========================================
NUMROWS = Resource id #3
mysql result
COUNTER =
fart
===========================================

From reading around, It seems I should be using one of the PHP mysql_fetch_xxx commands, but I can't get any of them to display the result hidden inside "Resource id #3". When I run the query directly on the database it returns a value of 2 (which is correct). I am not getting any errors reported. I am a total PHP and MySQL neophyte, but I have RTFM. What am I missing here?

[Sugartonic]

I'm not sure if this is a mistake in your code or not but if you notice the word counter is misspelled

===========================================
$NUMROWS = mysql_query("select count(*) from questions");
echo "NUMROWS = $NUMROWS <br>";

echo get_resource_type($NUMROWS), "<br>";

$COUNTER = mysql_fetch_array($NUMROWS);
if ($COUNTER)
echo "COUNTER = $COUTNER";

echo "<br> fart";
===========================================
My output is this:
===========================================
NUMROWS = Resource id #3
mysql result
COUNTER =
fart
===========================================

[terralos]

OMG, I just noticed a spelling error =P (as did Sugartonic)
Sorry to waste your time.

I now have:
===================================
$NUMROWS = mysql_query("select count(*) from questions");
$COUNTER = mysql_fetch_array($NUMROWS);
echo "COUNTER = $COUNTER[0]";
===================================
and correctly get:
===================================
COUNTER = 2

Hopefully my next post will be more substantial.