Question

Hey i want to create a list like this. The pic below isnt my list just an example of what i want to create.

My category table is currently just:

category(
id int,
title varchar(20)
)

Should i just keep everything in one table or add a section table to deal with each category section?

Answer 1

I would add a Parent_ID to the table which links to the same table’s ID field, but is NULL-able. Then, when you run through each category on the PHP side, look up sub-categories where the Parent_ID = $current_id. In order to get the root categories (uppermost), look up those where the Parent_ID = NULL.

This way you can make a recursive loop on the PHP side.

Here’s a rough idea on how you can make a recursive function.

function showCategories($parent_id = 0, $level = 0) {
    // If $parent_id == 0, look up categories with Parent_ID = NULL, otherwise by $parent_id.
    // For each category, show link and run showCategories() with the category's ID as $parent_id.
    // Throw in ++$level as the level, and do --$level at the end of each iteration.
    // Use $level to indicate how deep down the tree you are.
}

NOTE: The Parent_ID field must be NULL-able because otherwise you cannot indicate a top-most category, since the Parent_ID must exist as an ID (assuming you properly link your tables).

Hope it helps!