Question

I don’t want to use foreach to loop through an array of multiple rows, as I am planning on only displaying only one row and using a variable. I can’t find information for this online.

What doesn’t work

    $param = $this->getRequest()->getParam('manufacturer');
    $extrabrand = Mage::getModel('brands/brands')->getCollection();
    $extrabrand->addFieldToFilter('attributelabelid', $param);
    //$extrabrand->setAttributelabelid($param);
    $extrabrand->load();

Fatal error: Call to undefined method
Desbest_Brands_Model_Mysql4_Brands_Collection::getDescription() in
/home/desbest/public_html/clients/magentofull/app/design/frontend/default/default/template/Desbest_Brands/brand_info.phtml
on line 20

Plus there is no EAV.

Answer 1

Without seeing the code in brand_info.phtml it’s hard to say what the problem is, but my guess is you’re using the collection in $extrabrand as though it were a model. Try this instead

//get the parameter from the request
$param = $this->getRequest()->getParam('manufacturer');

//instantiate the brand/brand model, and use 
//its `getCollection` method to return a collection
//object
$collection = Mage::getModel('brands/brands')->getCollection();

//add the paramater as a filter
$collection->addFieldToFilter('attributelabelid', $param);

//get the first item of the collection (load will be called automatically)
$extrabrand = $collection->getFirstItem();

//look at the data in the first item
var_dump($extrabrand->getData());