Weird Rand() Thing
This SQL statement works in MySQL to return a random quote.
<?php
SELECT * from tablename ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1;
?>Basically it returns a quick and dirty random value from the database.
It also works in PHP on my local machine using PHP 4.1.2. On my host's machine running PHP 4.2.2, it doesn't work. It produces the same value every time. I have trying freeing the results and closing the connection, but so far no joy.
Any ideas?
Mark Irving
I have a mind like a steel trap; it is rusty and illegal in 47 states
Mark Hensler posted this at 06:57 — 11th November 2002.
He has: 4,048 posts
Joined: Aug 2000
Very odd. What version of mySQL do the two machines have?
(I'm doubting PHP has anything to do with it)
Mark Hensler posted this at 07:08 — 11th November 2002.
He has: 4,048 posts
Joined: Aug 2000
just checked, you need mySQL version 3.23 to do "ORDER BY RAND()"
I can't find anywhere that mentions problems with later versions.
mairving posted this at 11:36 — 11th November 2002.
They have: 2,256 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
MySQL is 3.23.39. It can't be MySQL because when I log in via SSH and run the query in MySQL, it works fine.
zollet posted this at 16:12 — 11th November 2002.
He has: 1,016 posts
Joined: May 2002
PHP's rand() changed since PHP 4.2.0, now you don't need to seed it anymore and the syntax is rand( [min value, max value )
So to get a random number between 1 and 10 you would do rand(1, 10);
mairving posted this at 18:26 — 11th November 2002.
They have: 2,256 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Yes, I have seen that the rand function doesn't have to be seeded any more. The thing is that this really shouldn't have anything to do with PHP. It should have to do with MySQL since I am pulling the random field out with a Select statement.
Mark Irving
I have a mind like a steel trap; it is rusty and illegal in 47 states
Mark Hensler posted this at 18:30 — 11th November 2002.
He has: 4,048 posts
Joined: Aug 2000
Like Mark Irving, I'm thinking that because the RAND() is in the SQL statement, PHP shouldn't touch it.
What kind of quotes is your SQL statement in?
Mark Hensler
If there is no answer on Google, then there is no question.
mairving posted this at 21:46 — 11th November 2002.
They have: 2,256 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Here is the query, nothing different.
<?php$result=mysql_query(\"SELECT guestbook_message, guestbook_name from guestbook order
by RAND() limit 1\");
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);
?>
Mark Irving
I have a mind like a steel trap; it is rusty and illegal in 47 states
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