Question

I have a table showing the list of categories and subcategories, using a function to loop through the parent/child tree. Here is the markup of the script:

<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2">
    <tr class="dataTableHeadingRow">
        <td class="dataTableHeadingContent"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_PRODUCTS; ?></td>
        <td class="dataTableHeadingContent" align="right"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_TOTAL_WEIGHT; ?>&nbsp;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr class="dataTableRow">
    <td class="dataTableContent">
<?php
function category_list( $category_parent_id = 0 )
{
    // NOTE THE ADDITIION OF THE PARENT ID:
    $sql  = 'select cd.categories_name,c.categories_id, c.parent_id, c.sort_order from ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES . ' c, ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . ' cd where c.categories_id = cd.categories_id AND c.parent_id='.$category_parent_id;
    $res  = tep_db_query( $sql );
    $cats = array();

    while ( $cat = tep_db_fetch_array( $res ) )
    {
        $cats[] = $cat;
    }

   if (count($cats) == 0)
   {
    return '';
   }

    // populate a list items array
    $list_items = array();
    $list_items[] = '<ul>';

    foreach ( $cats as $cat )
    {
        // open the list item
        $list_items[] = '<li>';

        // construct the category link

        $list_items[] = $cat['categories_name'];

        // recurse into the child list
        $list_items[] = category_list( $cat['categories_id'] );

        // close the list item
        $list_items[] = '</li>';
    }
    $list_items[] = '</ul>';

    // convert to a string
    return implode( '', $list_items );

}  

echo category_list();
?>
        </td>
        <td class="dataTableContent"></td>
    </tr>
</table>

Instead of printing as a list all in one <td>, how would i print each list element in an individual <td>?

Answer 1

First, remove the php function from the <td> and place it right on top of your table/html.
Instead of echo category_list();, do $list = category_list();

Then within HTML, do this:

       <tr class="dataTableRow">
       <?php foreach( $list as $v) { ?>           
         <td class="dataTableContent"><?php echo $v; ?></td> 
         <?php } ?>

Latest Edit:

       <table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2">
<tr class="dataTableHeadingRow">
    <td class="dataTableHeadingContent"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_PRODUCTS; ?></td>
    <td class="dataTableHeadingContent" align="right"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_TOTAL_WEIGHT; ?>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr class="dataTableRow"><ul> <!-- change #1 -->

<?php
function category_list( $category_parent_id = 0 )
{
// NOTE THE ADDITIION OF THE PARENT ID:
$sql  = 'select cd.categories_name,c.categories_id, c.parent_id, c.sort_order from ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES . ' c, ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . ' cd where c.categories_id = cd.categories_id AND c.parent_id='.$category_parent_id;
$res  = tep_db_query( $sql );
$cats = array();

while ( $cat = tep_db_fetch_array( $res ) )
  {
    $cats[] = $cat;
  }

   if (count($cats) == 0)
    {
  return '';
  }

     // populate a list items array
      $list_items = array();
     // $list_items[] = '<ul>'; Change #2

      foreach ( $cats as $cat )
     {
    // open the list item
    $list_items[] = '<td class="dataTableContent"><li>'; //Change #3

    // construct the category link

    $list_items[] = $cat['categories_name'];

    // recurse into the child list
    $list_items[] = category_list( $cat['categories_id'] );

    // close the list item
    $list_items[] = '</li></td>'; //Change #4
}
$list_items[] = '</ul></tr>'; //Change #5

// convert to a string
return implode( '', $list_items );

}  

echo category_list();
?>

 <!--remove </tr> change #6 -->
 </table>