mysql - get results at mysql prompt, but not through script?

Question

I'm using php to fetch some records from my db and it keeps returning "No results found". But, when I print the query to the screen and copy and paste it at the mysql prompt, I get 1 row. Granted, it's a monster query, but shouldn't I get the same results? What causes that to happen? Any suggestions on what to check?

Don't know if it's helpful, but here's the query:

$q = db_query("SELECT node.nid AS nid, gallery.field_attach_gallery_value AS gallery, 
node.type AS type, node.vid AS vid, ce.field_brochure_link_url AS ce_brochure_url, 
ce.field_brochure_link_title AS ce_brochure_title, 
ce.field_brochure_link_attributes AS ce_brochure_attributes, 
location.field_location_value AS location_field_location_value, 
ce.field_ongoing_value AS ce_field_ongoing_value, 
ce.field_poster_link_url AS ce_poster_url, 
ce.field_poster_link_title AS ce_poster_title, 
ce.field_poster_link_attributes AS ce_poster_attributes, 
ce.field_press_release_link_url AS ce_press_release_url, 
ce.field_press_release_link_title AS ce_press_release_title, 
ce.field_press_release_link_attributes AS ce_press_release_attributes, 
(DATE_FORMAT(STR_TO_DATE(ce.field_start_date_value,'%Y-%m-%dT%T'),'%M %d, %Y %h:%i %p')) AS start, 
(DATE_FORMAT(STR_TO_DATE(ce.field_start_date_value2,'%Y-%m-%dT%T'),'%M %d, %Y %h:%i %p')) AS end, 
ce.field_web_resources_url AS ce_web_resources_url, 
ce.field_web_resources_title AS ce_web_resources_title, 
ce.field_web_resources_attributes AS ce_web_resources_attributes, 
node_revisions.body AS body, 
node_revisions.format AS node_revisions_format, 
node.title AS title 
FROM node node 
LEFT JOIN content_field_attach_gallery gallery ON node.vid = gallery.vid 
LEFT JOIN content_type_exhibitions_and_programs ce ON node.vid = ce.vid 
LEFT JOIN content_field_location location ON node.vid = location.vid 
LEFT JOIN node_revisions node_revisions ON node.vid = node_revisions.vid 
WHERE (node.status <> 0) 
AND (node.type in ('exhibitions_and_programs')) 
AND '2010-01-19' BETWEEN (DATE_FORMAT(STR_TO_DATE(ce.field_start_date_value, '%Y-%m-%dT%T'), '%Y-%m-%d')) 
AND (DATE_FORMAT(STR_TO_DATE(ce.field_start_date_value2, '%Y-%m-%dT%T'), '%Y-%m-%d')) 
ORDER BY (DATE_FORMAT(STR_TO_DATE(ce.field_start_date_value, '%Y-%m-%dT%T'), '%Y-%m-%d')) DESC");

$num = FALSE;

while($r = db_fetch_array($q)) {
   $num = TRUE;
   $line = 'ok, found something!';
}

if($num == TRUE) {
  print $line;
} else {
  print 'No records found';
}

Answer 1

Edit: You comment that you are using Drupal.

From Drupal's docs on db_query (Emphasis mine):

Runs a basic query in the active database.

User-supplied arguments to the query should be passed in as separate parameters so that they can be properly escaped to avoid SQL injection attacks.

Valid %-modifiers are: %s, %d, %f, %b (binary data, do not enclose in '') and %%. NOTE: using this syntax will cast NULL and FALSE values to decimal 0, and TRUE values to decimal 1.

So my guess is that Drupal is replacing your %ds in your query.

Old answer:

db_query() is no native PHP/mySQL/mysqli function I know of. Are you using a database wrapper? If so, you need to tell us which one that is, or use the standard mysql_* instead.

If all settings are correct, the same result should come up.

What you should check:

• Add a echo mysql_error(); after the query to see whether it silently fails
• Make sure you are selecting the correct database using mysql_select_db()
• Make sure you are using the exact same server and user data for both the phpMyAdmin and the script request.

Answer 2

It seems your db_query() and db_fetch_array() are custom functions. You should really var_dump($q) and replace your output code at the end entirely with var_dump(db_fetch_array($q)); to get some debug info on your problem.