made $_SESSION[] data into php variable but it still won't work in a mysql query -

i have trouble checking $_session variable on mysql query. want details of user logged in, appears not working properly.

i have $user = mysql_real_escape_string($_session['username']); puts code regular variable, , make query database is:$sql = "select * admin username='$user' limit 1";

and count if user exists use code: $usercount = mysql_num_rows($sql); // count output amount

this not seem work. keep getting error: "warning: mysql_num_rows() expects parameter 1 resource, string given in /home/alexartl/public_html/crm/headercode.php on line 18"

and way, user account exist , logged in when have been testing below full code

  // if session vars aren't set, try set them cookie   if (!isset($_session['user_id'])) {     if (isset($_cookie['user_id']) && isset($_cookie['username'])) {       $_session['user_id'] = $_cookie['user_id'];       $_session['username'] = $_cookie['username'];        }   } ?> <?php //if username set   if (isset($_session['username'])) { //making username php variable          $user = mysql_real_escape_string($_session['username']); //the query grab users name         $sql = "select * admin username='$user' limit 1";         $usercount = mysql_num_rows($sql); // count output amount         if ($usercount == 1) {         while($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql)){ //just array grabs users info             $username = $row["username"];             $password = $row["password"];             $first_name = $row["first_name"];             $last_name = $row["last_name"];             $gender = $row["gender"];             $birthdate = $row["birthdate"];             $email_address = $row["email_address"];             $city = $row["city"];             $state = $row["state"];             $retrieval = $row["retrieval"];             $isadmin = $row["isadmin"];             $join_date = $row["join_date"];   //if user has "isadmin" "yes", link "manage users" page appear             if($isadmin == "yes"){                 $ifadmin = '<li><a href="manageusers.php">manage users</a></li>';                 }             }                }      }       ?> 

i won't "don't use mysql_* commands", don't :p

you missing:

 $result = mysql_query($sql);  //actually execute query 

then use

$usercount = mysql_num_rows($result); // count output amount 

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separately, don't seem connect to, or use database wish query.

$link = mysql_connect('localhost', 'user', 'pass') or die('could not connect mysql server.' ); mysql_select_db('databasename');