Question

This query below works but i seem to have a weird bug. The first user in the users table can get to all see all help questions associated with them by all other users. But the second user in the database can only get help questions by the first person they have in the table and the query ignores results from other people in that table for that second person.

I am guessing it has to do with parentheses?

Code:

//Unseen
$variis = "Need Help";
$myid = "This is the user's id;"

$sql = "select car_help.car_id, agent_names.agent_name, help_box.status, 
car_help.why_car, car_help.date_time_added, car_help.just_date, 
car_help.type, agent_names.agent_id
from car_help LEFT JOIN agent_names on car_help.agent_whois = agent_names.agent_id 
where agent_names.system_id = '$myid' and car_help.system_id='$myid' 
and added_by <> '$myid' and help_box.status = '$variis'
UNION
select magazine_help.note_id, agent_names.agent_name, help_box.status, 
magazine_help.note_name, magazine_help.date_time_added, 
magazine_help.just_date, magazine_help.type, agent_names.agent_id
from magazine_help LEFT JOIN agent_names on 
magazine_help.agent_id = agent_names.agent_id 
where agent_names.system_id='$myid' and 
magazine_help.system_id = '$myid' and added_by <> '$myid' 
and help_box.status = '$variis'
UNION
select motorcycle_help.rand_id, agent_names.agent_name, 
help_box.status, motorcycle_help.rand_name, motorcycle_help.date_time_added,     
motorcycle_help.just_date, motorcycle_help.type, agent_names.agent_id
from motorcycle_help LEFT JOIN agent_names ON 
motorcycle_help.by_who = agent_names.agent_id
where agent_names.system_id = '$myid' and 
motorcycle_help.system_id='$myid' and added_by <> '$myid' 
and help_box.status = '$variis'
UNION
select mobile_questions.bal_test_id, agent_names.agent_name, 
help_box.status, mobile_questions.bal_why, mobile_questions.date_time_added,   
mobile_questions.just_date, mobile_questions.type, agent_names.agent_id
from mobile_questions LEFT JOIN agent_names ON 
mobile_questions.agent_who_ordered = agent_names.agent_id
where agent_names.system_id = '$myid' and 
mobile_questions.system_id='$myid' and added_by <> '$myid' 
and help_box.status = '$variis'
ORDER BY date_time_added DESC LIMIT $startrow, 20";

$result = mysql_query($sql);

$query = mysql_query($sql) or die ("Error: ".mysql_error());


if ($result == "")
{
echo "";
}
echo "";


$rows = mysql_num_rows($result);

if($rows == 0)
{
print("");

}
elseif($rows > 0)
{
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($query))
{

$row1 = $row['row_name'];


print("$row1");
}

}

Answer 1

where agent_names.system_id = '$myid' and 
motorcycle_help.system_id='$myid' and added_by <> '$myid' 
and help_box.status = '$variis'

only return the data if all is true. if the second person doesn’t have a matching id in all three fields it will not return what your expecting. create a default id that should replace the calling variable if $variis is empty. a or statement may be needed. and if you are going to use echo stick with it, print does the same thing.