mysql_fetch_array()/mysql_fetch_assoc()/mysql_fetch_row()/mysql_num_rows etc… expects parameter 1 to be resource

Question

I am trying to select data from a MySQL table, but I get one of the following error messages:

mysql_fetch_array() expects parameter 1 to be resource,

Answer 1

As scompt.com explained, the query might fail. Use this code the get the error of the query or the correct result:

$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];

$result = mysql_query("
SELECT * FROM Users 
WHERE UserName LIKE '".mysql_real_escape_string($username)."'
");

if($result)
{
    while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
    {
        echo $row['FirstName'];
    }
} else {
    echo 'Invalid query: ' . mysql_error() . "\n";
    echo 'Whole query: ' . $query; 
}

See the documentation for mysql_query() for further information.

The actual error was the single quotes so that the variable $username was not parsed. But you should really use mysql_real_escape_string($username) to avoid SQL injections.