title: Unable to Select Record from Database
body: <p>I am learning PHP and SQL, and I'm trying to figure out how to select a record from a database.
  I created a function called <code>selectById()</code></p>
  
  <p>Right now in the browser displayed is "Error:"  but, no specific error was displayed.</p>
  
  <pre><code> // function selectById --------------------------------------------------------------------
      function selectById($pUInput) {
          $sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tblStudents 
                              WHERE id='$pUInput[0]'");
  
              if (!mysql_query($sql))
                {
                die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
                }
              echo "Record Selected";
  
      }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>PHP Code:</strong>    </p>
  
  <pre><code>//Call function mainline
  
  mainline();
  
  // Declare the function mainline
  function mainline() {
  
      $uInput = getUserInput();
  
      $connectDb = openConnect(); // Open Database Connection
      selectDb($connectDb); // Select Database
      doAction($uInput);
      //display();
      //closeConnect();
  
  }
  
  //Declare function getUserInput --------------------------------------------------------
  function getUserInput() {
  
      echo "In the function getUserInput()" . "&lt;br/&gt;";
  
      // Variables of User Input
      $idnum = $_POST["idnum"];              // id (NOTE: auto increments in database)
      $fname = $_POST["fname"];             // first name
      $lname = $_POST["lname"];            // last name
      $major = $_POST["major"];           // major
      $year = $_POST["year"];            // year
      $action = $_POST["action"];       // action (select, insert, update, delete)
  
      $userInput = array($idnum, $fname, $lname, $major, $year, $action);
  
      return $userInput;
  }
  
  function doAction($pUserInput) {
      echo "In function doAction()" . "&lt;br/&gt;";
  
      if ($pUserInput[5] == "sel") {
          selectById($pUserInput);    
  
      } elseif ($pUserInput[5] == "ins") {
          insert($pUserInput);    
      }
  
  }
  
  // Create a database connection --------------------------------------------------------
  function openConnect() {
      $connection = mysql_connect("localhost", "root_user", "password");
          echo "Opened Connection!" . "&lt;br/&gt;";
  
      if(!$connection) {
          die("Database connection failed: " . mysql_error());
      }
  
      return $connection;
  }
  
  // Select a database to ---------------------------------------------------------------- 
  function selectDb($pConnectDb) {
      $dbSelect = mysql_select_db("School", $pConnectDb);
      if(!$dbSelect) {
          die("Database selection failed: " . mysql_error());
      } else {
      echo "You are in the School database! &lt;br/&gt;";   
      }
  
  }
  
  // function select ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  function selectById($pUInput) {
      $sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tblStudents 
                          WHERE id='$pUInput[0]'");
  
          if (!mysql_query($sql))
            {
            die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
            }
          echo "Record Selected";
  
  }
  
  // function insert -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  function insert($pUInput) {
  
      $sql="INSERT INTO tblStudents (first_name, last_name, major, year)
            VALUES
           ('$pUInput[1]','$pUInput[2]','$pUInput[3]', '$pUInput[4]')";
  
  
          if (!mysql_query($sql))
            {
            die('Error: ' . mysql_error());
            }
          echo "1 record added";
  }
  
  
  
  ?&gt; 
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>SQL Syntax:</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>CREATE TABLE `tblStudents` (
    `id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
    `first_name` varchar(30) NOT NULL,
    `last_name` varchar(50) NOT NULL,
    `major` varchar(40) NOT NULL,
    `year` date NOT NULL,
    PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
  )
  </code></pre>