Using PHP to redirect when SQL query comes up empty

Question

I am using this PHP script to return search input values with corresponding URL values on a MySQL database/table. The idea is to append them to a redirect to automatically jump to that page.

<?php
$searchResults = $_POST['search'];
$dbhost = 'localhost';
$dbuser = 'admin';
$dbpass = 'pwd';
$conn = mysql_connect($dbhost, $dbuser, $dbpass);
if(! $conn )
{
  die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
}
$sql = "SELECT url
    FROM Table_1
    WHERE input = '" .$searchResults."'";

mysql_select_db('database_1');
$retval = mysql_query( $sql, $conn );
if(! $retval )
{
  die('Could not get data: ' . mysql_error());
}
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($retval, MYSQL_ASSOC))
{
    $redirect = $row['url'];
    header('Location:'.$redirect);  
}

To catch any input that does not match a value on Table_1 added this If statement. It will take any non relevant or misspelled inputs and redirect them to xyz.html

if (mysql_num_rows($retval) < 1)  {

header('Location: xyz.html');

}

Is this incorrect? It seems to be working but I assume there must be a cleaner way of doing this/ it may be bad practice.

Gandharva Bettadpur · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-26 18:16:48Z

2

If you are expecting only one result from the query then it would work.
But if there are multiple rows then the last row would be loaded . It would be inefficient then.
You could also directly do this:

if($retval)
{ .$row = mysql_fetch_array($retval, MYSQL_ASSOC);
 header('Location:'.$row);
}
else 
header('Location:xyz.html');

You wouldn't need to use the while loop if you are expecting only one row.

edited Apr 26, 2015 at 18:16

answered Apr 26, 2015 at 16:52

Gandharva Bettadpur

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3 Comments

Pratik Joshi Over a year ago

He is firstly asking if its Correct or Wrong approach. And by the way its wrong approach.

Vault Dweller Over a year ago

Thanks for responding. The query will only ever return 1 value. In your response is $result a new variable?

scrowler Over a year ago

To "optimise" further you could add LIMIT 1 to the SQL query

Pratik Joshi · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-26 16:46:35Z

2

The way you use is wrong, it may cause lots of headache.

2 ways :

 1.If result is x then redirect to page A.

 2.If result is x then load view just similar like page A with same header ,footer.

So , as per 2nd way ,when the query is empty , Load specific view which you want.

For your example , suppose you visit a Shopping cart Site, you clicked on Shoes category , if there is no shoes, the page shows message Sorry stock is empty, no shoes, it does not redirect you to any page if stock if empty.

answered Apr 26, 2015 at 16:46

Pratik Joshi

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1 Comment

Vault Dweller Over a year ago

Hey thanks for responding, should i just include the IF statement after the WHILE statement like i have it, or can i get rid of the WHILE statement?

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