Update Oldest Timestamp in an if else

How do you know it does not happen? You are not executing the query, just assigning it to $query.

$AppOff is not invloved, but $result3['AppOff'] is.

min($Timestamp) should probably be  min(Timestamp)

Put in some echo statements to see what is going on:

if ( "$Off" > $result3['AppOff']) {
   $query = "UPDATE Requests SET Approval = 'Approved' WHERE Timestamp = (select min(Timestamp) from Requests WHERE Approval = 'Pending' ) ";
  echo "did it";
} else {
  echo "didn't do it!";
  echo 'Off='.$Off.', AppOff='.$result3['AppOff'];
}

Select allOpen in new window

Good idea. I actually changed it a bit:

I get the following results

Andrew - Yep, that's true
Pending - Should be Approved. That's what I'm trying to update.

if ( "$Off" > $result3['AppOff']) {
   $query = "UPDATE Requests SET Approval = 'Approved' WHERE Timestamp = (select min(Timestamp) from Requests WHERE Approval = 'Pending')";
  echo "$VFname"; echo "$Status";
} else {
  echo "didn't do it!";
  echo 'Off='.$Off.', AppOff='.$result3['AppOff'];
}

Select allOpen in new window

Is the value of $VFname == 'Andrew' ? If that is the case, the $query variable has been set. If you want to change anything in the database you would have to execute the query. That is done by using the mysql_query() function.

No, Andrew is not coded in. It's pulling that from the table. I've copied the entire php so you could see.

I'm a novice at this, so I have to create multiple queries to do what I need to get done.

<?
 
	include_once ("../../auth.php");
	include_once ("../../authconfig.php");
	include_once ("../../check.php");
 
if (!($check['team']=='Pharmacy'))
    {
        echo 'Your Primary Skillset is not Pharmacy.';
		exit();
    }
    //Get the Month, Day and Year from URL
    $Month = $_GET['Month']; 
    $Day = $_GET['Day']; 
    $Year = $_GET['Year']; 
    $Skillset = $_GET['Skillset']; 
    
 
    //Get the DOW and how many people allowed off that day 
	$connection = mysql_connect($dbhost, $dbusername, $dbpass);
	$SelectedDB = mysql_select_db($dbname);    
  $query = "SELECT DOW, Pharmacy from Cal WHERE Month = '$Month' AND Day = '$Day' AND Yr = '$Year'";
  $result = mysql_query ($query, $connection) or die ("Unable to execute query.");  
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
    {
    $DOW = $row['DOW'];
    $Off =  $row['Pharmacy'];
    }
    // Get the users First Name, Last Name, Email
  $query2 = "SELECT uname, EFname, ELname, Email FROM Employees WHERE uname = '$USERNAME'";
  $result2 = mysql_query ($query2, $connection) or die ("Unable to execute query2.");  
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result2))
    {
    $EFname = $row['EFname'];
    $ELname =  $row['ELname'];
    $Email =  $row['Email'];
    }  
    
    //Count how many people are already off
  $query3    = "SELECT COUNT(*) as AppOff FROM Requests WHERE Month='$Month' AND Day='$Day' AND Year ='$Year' AND Skillset='$Skillset' AND Approval = 'Approved'";
  $rs_result3   = mysql_query($query3) or die(mysql_error());
  $result3=mysql_fetch_array($rs_result3);
 
     //Count how many are pending
  $query4    = "SELECT COUNT(*) as AppPend FROM Requests WHERE Month='$Month' AND Day='$Day' AND Year ='$Year' AND Skillset='$Skillset' AND Approval = 'Pending'";
  $rs_result4   = mysql_query($query4) or die(mysql_error());
  $result4=mysql_fetch_array($rs_result4);
 
     //Get everyone who has or wants this day off
  $query5    = "SELECT * From Requests WHERE Month='$Month' AND Day='$Day' AND Year ='$Year' AND Skillset='$Skillset' ORDER BY Timestamp ";
  $result5 = mysql_query ($query5, $connection) or die ("Unable to execute query5.");  
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result5))
    {
    $RID =  $row['RID'];
    $VFname = $row['RFname'];
    $VLname =  $row['RLname'];
    $Status =  $row['Approval'];
    $RTime = $row['Timestamp'];
    $List_block .="$VFname $VLname - $Status ($RTime)<br>
    ";} 
 
    if ( "$Off" > $result3['AppOff']) {
    // If someone cancels or we are allowing more people off, approve oldest timestamp for skillset
   $query6 = "UPDATE Requests SET Approval = 'Approved' WHERE Timestamp = (select min(Timestamp) from Requests WHERE Approval = 'Pending')";
  echo "$VFname"; echo "$Status";
} else {
  echo "didn't do it!";
  echo 'Off='.$Off.', AppOff='.$result3['AppOff'];
}
 
?> 

Select allOpen in new window

Ok, I see. $VFname is the last RFname from $query5. That means that "$Off" > $result3['AppOff'] is true. The reason nothing is happening, is because you are not executing the query. After assigning the SQL statement to the $query6 variable, you need to call mysql_query(), just like you do with all the other queries. Below I have reformatted your query for improved readbillity, and I added a call to mysql_error(). Note that if two (or more) records have the same minimum timestamp, both/all will be updated. If you want to make sure that only one record is updated, you can add "LIMIT 1" at the end of the query.

   $query6 = "UPDATE Requests SET Approval = 'Approved' 
              WHERE Timestamp = (
                select min(Timestamp) 
                from Requests 
                WHERE Approval = 'Pending')";
   $result6 = mysql_query($query6, $connection) or 
     die("Unable to execute query6. Error: ".mysql_error());

Select allOpen in new window

I'm getting this error:

Unable to execute query6. Error: You can't specify target table 'Requests' for update in FROM clause

You are magnificent!!! Thank you so much for explaining the why behind the code instead of just handing it to me.