Query to Validate if Email Already Exists in Database; Row count returns 1 instead of 0

Question

I am trying to validate if $email exists in my database. I am 100% sure $email has not been registered before, yet count($results) is returning 1 and $results['email'] is returning an empty string.

I have looked at other examples on how to code a query to the database. I like it this way, so I haven't tried a different way to code it.

In my database I have only 1 email registered and it is different from $email.

Context: Using Netbeans, XAMPP, MySQL Workbench

     $records = $conn->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email');
     $records->bindParam(':email',$email);
     $records->execute();
     $results = $records->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

     IF(count($results) == 0){ 

     ....

have you tried printing what you selected and *looking at the output*? — Franz Gleichmann, Nov 24 '16 at 14:48
*"and `$results['email']` is returning an empty string."* - where's that? — Funk Forty Niner, Nov 24 '16 at 15:04
*"In my database I have only 1 email registered and it is different from $email."* - Huh? So what's the value of that row and of `$email`? — Funk Forty Niner, Nov 24 '16 at 15:05
You have answers posted below; ask them if you're not going to clarify your question. — Funk Forty Niner, Nov 24 '16 at 15:06
Hi thanks for all your responces. This is my first time signing and actually posting somethibg in stackoverflow. Thanks for your responces, especially Fred ii. — Andrew Redican, Nov 28 '16 at 03:03
I did try @Franz Gleichmann. This was solved however. Many thanks. — Andrew Redican, Nov 28 '16 at 03:06

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 24 '16 at 15:05

I think variable $result is false.

So count($result) is count(false) is 1.. motto of the story don't use count there.

Your code should be something like this.

$records = $conn->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email');
$records->bindParam(':email',$email);
$records->execute();
$results = $records->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

/* Check with */ 
if ($result === false) {
 // Email doesn't exists
}

/* Or check with  */ 
if (!is_array($result)) {
  // Email doesn't exists
}

This worked great! To me php / sql is still something I'm new at. @Mayank clarified why this works. — Andrew Redican, Nov 28 '16 at 03:05

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 24 '16 at 15:09

1

Just for clarity, how to make your code less bloated

 $stmt = $conn->prepare('SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE email = ?');
 $stmt->execute([$email]);
 $emailFound = $stmt->fetchColumn();

 if($emailFound) {

answered Nov 24 '16 at 15:09

Your Common Sense

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I'm new to this. I learned somewhere that what I was doing was a best practice. But then again, I had also two variables :email, and $email named almost the same and that might have caused confusion. – Andrew Redican Nov 28 '16 at 03:08

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 24 '16 at 15:28

0

Since an empty array is a false value you can just check it.

$records = $conn->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email');
$records->bindParam(':email',$email);
$records->execute();
$results = $records->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
if(!$results) echo 0;

or

if($results->rowCount() == 0){}

answered Nov 24 '16 at 15:28

Mayank

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2

I tried the latter, but it didn't work. Not sure why. Anyways, thanks a bunch! – Andrew Redican Nov 28 '16 at 03:09

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 28 '16 at 03:15

My mistake was I was using this:

if(count($results) == 0){ ...

to validate if there were any records. You can just simply use the code below. The reason being, result$ was already returning 'false' and technically I was counting a boolean value.

IF($result === false){  ...

Query to Validate if Email Already Exists in Database; Row count returns 1 instead of 0

4 Answers4