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Classic ASP - If Else Conditional Statement

I have problems retrieving the right data from my database fields.
I have two colums: Pref_First_Name and First_Name
If someone has a preferred first name I want it displayed in the browser, but if they don't have a preferred first name I want their first name displayed. I was trying something like this but it's not working:
<%if Pref_First_Name = "" then%><%=rs("First_Name"%><%else%>
<%=rs("First_Name")%>
<%end if%>
Can anyone please help?
Thank you.

Paul MacDonald

How about this:
<% If Pref_First_Name = "" then %>
<% Response.Write(rs("First_Name")) %>
<% Else %>
<% Response.Write (rs(" Pref_First_Name")) %>
<% End If %>

Paul MacDonald

That could be written like this, by the way:
<%
If Pref_First_Name = "" then
Response.Write(rs("First_Name"))
Else
Response.Write (rs(" Pref_First_Name"))
End If
%>

baxtalo

ASKER

It gives me this error message:
ADODB.Recordset error '800a0cc1'

Item cannot be found in the collection corresponding to the requested name or ordinal.

Paul MacDonald

It looks like I left a space in rs("Pref_First_Name"). If you copied and pasted, look for any spaces/mispellings, fix them, and then see if it works.

baxtalo

ASKER

I used this but it won't display the first name:

<%
If Pref_First_Name = "" then
Response.Write(rs("First_Name"))
Else
Response.Write (rs("Pref_First_Name"))
End If
%>

baxtalo

ASKER

It displays the preferred first name if they have one, but no first name is displayed if they don't have a preferred first name

Paul MacDonald

Try this and see if anything displays:
<%
If Pref_First_Name = "" then
Response.Write(":" & rs("First_Name") & ":")
Else
Response.Write ("::" & rs("Pref_First_Name") & "::")
End If
%>
If you get two colons, the Response.Write is working, but First_Name is blank. If you get four colons, same thing for Pref_First_Name.

Paul MacDonald

Does your query include a field called First_Name? Are you sure it isn't empty?

baxtalo

ASKER

Now the First_Name displays ::::
The Pref_First_Name is displayed like this :Jimmy:

baxtalo

ASKER

The fist name column is not empty, everbody has a first name as it is a mandatory field.

Paul MacDonald

They're backwards then. You must be calling the first name "Pref_First_Name" and the other "First Name".

baxtalo

ASKER

This is how preferred is displayed
::Jimmy::

Paul MacDonald

Okay, are you sure your select statement calls the column "First_Name"? I'm sure the code is solid, and the Response.Write is working, but what you're telling it to write is empty.

baxtalo

ASKER

I'm using this on the page:

First Name:<%=rs("First_Name") %><br />
Preferred Name: <% = rs("Pref_First_Name") %>

When someone doesn't have a preferred first name the it's not displayed, but the first name is always displayed, regardless if they have a pref_first_name or not

Paul MacDonald

Ah, try this:
<%
If ISNULL(rs("Pref_First_Name")) then
Response.Write(rs("First_Name"))
Else
Response.Write (rs("Pref_First_Name"))
End If
%>

baxtalo

ASKER

This again works fine for people who have pref_first_name
but for people who don't have pref_first_name it doesn't show anything.

In spite of the fact that I can retrieve their first names on the same page like this:

First Name:<%=rs("First_Name") %><br />

Paul MacDonald

Okay, let's try reversing the logic:

<%
If ISNULL(rs("First_Name")) then
Response.Write (rs("Pref_First_Name"))
Else
Response.Write(rs("First_Name"))
End If
%>

baxtalo

ASKER

This one displays the first name of everybody, but the preferred first name is not displayed for those who have preferred first names.

Paul MacDonald

Heh. Okay so something is going on with Pref_First_Name. It isn't null and it isn't empty. Try this:
<%
If ISNULL(rs("Pref_First_Name")) OR TRIM(rs("Pref_First_Name") = "" Then
Response.Write(rs("First_Name"))
Else
Response.Write (rs("Pref_First_Name"))
End If
%>

baxtalo

ASKER

It gives me this error:

Microsoft VBScript compilation error '800a03ee'

Expected ')'

/ATO/Profile/Profile_View_allNOCC.asp, line 206

If ISNULL(rs("Pref_First_Name")) OR TRIM(rs("Pref_First_Name") = "" Then

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Paul MacDonald

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baxtalo

ASKER

PERFECT!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your patience, this drove me crazy.

I've been playing with it since yesterday. Why do you think it didn't display it with the methods we tried earlier?

I'm really grateful

Paul MacDonald

First off, we were evaluating Pref_First_Name = "" when we should have been evaluating rs("Pref_First_Name") = "".
Secondly, rs("Pref_First_Name") must have a space in it because it never comes back as null or empty. Doing the TRIM(rs("Pref_First_Name")) removes any spaces before or after so it can evaluate to empty. You'll probably never need the ISNULL check, but leave it in there just in case.
Glad I could help.