php - Why does this return Resource id #2? -

possible duplicate:
how “echo” “resource id #6” mysql response in php?

i new @ php , sql , i'm trying make php page list numbers of enries in table. i'm using code returns resource id #2:

$rt=mysql_query("select count(*) persons"); echo mysql_error(); echo "<h1>number:</h1>".$rt;

because mysql ressource when mysql_query().

use mysql_fetch_assoc() next row. returns array column names indices. in case it's count(*).

here's fix , minor improvements of snippet:

$rt = mysql_query("select count(*) persons") or die(mysql_error()); $row = mysql_fetch_row($rt); if($row)     echo "<h1>number:</h1>" . $row[0];

if need rows of resultset use snippet:

while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($rt)) {     var_dump($row); }

Sohocode