Problem with array

Question

I am running into issues with the following code:

$ids = '"' . implode('", "', $crumbs) . '"';
$motd = array();
$dober = $db->query("SELECT id, name, msg, datetime FROM tbl_depts td INNER JOIN tbl_motd tm ON td.id = tm.deptid WHERE td.id IN (" . $ids . ")");

while ($row = $dober->fetch_array()) {
                $motd[] = $row;
      }

A print_r reveals this:

Array
(
[0] => Array
    (
        [0] => 1
        [id] => 1
        [1] => Management
        [name] => Management
        [2] => New Management Rule!
        [msg] => New Management Rule!
        [3] => 
        [datetime] => 
    )

[1] => Array
    (
        [0] => 2
        [id] => 2
        [1] => Human Resources
        [name] => Human Resources
        [2] => DPS
        [msg] => DPS
        [3] => 
        [datetime] => 
    )
)

As such, I cannot use this code to generate things:

foreach ($motd[] as &$value) {

        if ($motd['msg'] != "") {
            if ($i == 0) {
                ?>


                <li><a href="#" title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
                       class="tab active"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>
                <?
            } elseif ($i == $len - 1) {
                ?>
                <li><a href="#" title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
                       class="tab"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>

                <?php } else { ?>
                <li><a href="#" title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
                       class="tab"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>
                <?
            }
            $i++;
        }
    }

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here?

EDIT: you might find it easier to understand if you read this first: Optimize this SQL query

Answer 1

First - your code will not work because of this two lines:

foreach ($motd[] as &$value) {
    if ($motd['msg'] != "") {

You should use $motd, not $motd[] in foreach and check $value['msg'], not $motd['msg']

Second, try to use mysql_fetch_assoc instead of mysql_fetch_array

Third - there is no initial value for $i.

Answer 2

1.) You might have an issue with foreach ($motd[] as &$value) { perhaps it should be foreach ($motd as &$value) {

2.) I would rather use a for() loop instead of a foreach.

    for($a=0, $cnt=count($motd)-1; $a<=$cnt; $a++ )
    { 
        if($motd[$a]["msg"] != "" )
        { 
          #do something here 
        }
    }

Answer 3

I have rewritten your code a bit. No need to define the whole HTML several times only because there is a small change in it (I only spotted active).

$i=0;
foreach ($motd as $value) {
    if ($value['msg'] != "") {

        $active = $i == 0 ? ' active' : ''; //based on the value of `$i`

        ?>
        <li>
        <a href="#" 
             title="content_<?php echo $value['id']; ?>"
             class="tab<?php echo $active?>"><?php echo $value['name']; ?></a></li>
        <?php

        $i++;
    }
}

As I noted in the comments earlier:

1. In foreach you have to specify the array itself, you do not need [].
2. Always initialize your $i.
3. You do not need &$value, you only need that reference if you want to modify your array in the foreach.