Randomly pick text from mySQL

I want to make a random text picker thingy and don't want to use flat files. So I want to use a mySQL db.

Keeping in mind that I'm a complete idiot n00b when it comes to any databases...given a row in a mySQL table, how can I randomly pick text from it?

Analogy Chris would get: given the vBulletin "user" table, how could I randomly pick a signature?

SQL has the random function.

Just enter it in, select random row, and show it.:)

something like

PHP Code:

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<?php

// initialise database variable
$db = mysql_connect("localhost", "username", "password");
mysql_select_db("dh2255",$db);

// get random row from db
$rnd_row_sql = "SELECT UserID FROM users ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1"
$rnd_row_result = mysql_query($rnd_row_sql);

while ($rnd_row_items = mysql_fetch_array($rnd_row_result)) {
    $rnd_sig = $rnd_row_items["signature"];
}

print $rnd_sig;

?>

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perhaps

Quote:

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Originally posted by chrisjk
something like

PHP Code:

---

<?php

// initialise database variable
$db = mysql_connect("localhost", "username", "password");
mysql_select_db("dh2255",$db);

// get random row from db
$rnd_row_sql = "SELECT UserID FROM users ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1"
$rnd_row_result = mysql_query($rnd_row_sql);

while ($rnd_row_items = mysql_fetch_array($rnd_row_result)) {
    $rnd_sig = $rnd_row_items["signature"];
}

print $rnd_sig;

?>

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perhaps

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...that shows random sig, by the way.;)

*cough*

Quote:

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Analogy Chris would get: given the vBulletin "user" table, how could I randomly pick a signature?

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Doesn't work, dude:

Quote:

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Warning: Supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/dh2255/randsig.php on line 11

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11 is

PHP Code:

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while ($rnd_row_items = mysql_fetch_array($rnd_row_result)) 


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Is this SQL statement actually correct; I didn't bother checking table/field names

just checked, table is called "user". Take the 's' off, works fine

PHP Code:

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$rnd_row_sql = "SELECT UserID, Signature FROM user ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1" 


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Good deal, it's working :)