How to Modify PHP Code to detect exact mySQL error

Add:

echo "Error message = ".mysql_error();

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I'm not exactly sure where to put that. Now I get: "Error message = Item could not be inserted."

Add I right after throw new exception.

I added the following:

throw new Exception ("Error message = ".mysql_error());

I get "Error message = "

Replace "throw new Exception ('Item could not be inserted.');" on line 10 with "throw new Exception (mysql_error());". This should display the exact error when the exception is thrown.

All is says now is: "Attempting to add item123" (Which is the item I am trying to insert into the table.)

Here is a teaching example script that shows some of the basics of MySQL and the way it interacts with PHP.  Please read it over - code, comments, and man pages references - and post back with any specific questions.  A really good book with great explanations and examples is available from SitePoint:
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/phpmysql4/

HTH, ~Ray

<?php // RAY_mysql_example.php
error_reporting(E_ALL);


// IMPORTANT PAGES FROM THE MANUALS
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/ref.mysql.php
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/mysql.installation.php
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-error.php


// CONNECTION AND SELECTION VARIABLES FOR THE DATABASE
$db_host = "localhost"; // PROBABLY THIS IS OK
$db_name = "??";        // GET THESE FROM YOUR HOSTING COMPANY
$db_user = "??";
$db_word = "??";

// OPEN A CONNECTION TO THE DATA BASE SERVER
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-connect.php
if (!$db_connection = mysql_connect("$db_host", "$db_user", "$db_word"))
{
    $errmsg = mysql_errno() . ' ' . mysql_error();
    echo "<br/>NO DB CONNECTION: ";
    echo "<br/> $errmsg <br/>";
}

// SELECT THE MYSQL DATA BASE
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-select-db.php
if (!$db_sel = mysql_select_db($db_name, $db_connection))
{
    $errmsg = mysql_errno() . ' ' . mysql_error();
    echo "<br/>NO DB SELECTION: ";
    echo "<br/> $errmsg <br/>";
    die('NO DATA BASE');
}
// IF WE GOT THIS FAR WE CAN DO QUERIES




// ESCAPING A DATA FIELD FOR USE IN MYSQL QUERIES
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-real-escape-string.php
$safe_username = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST["username"]);




// CREATING AND SENDING A SELECT QUERY AND TESTING THE RESULTS
// MAN PAGE:http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-query.php
$sql = "SELECT id FROM my_table WHERE username='$safe_username'";
$res = mysql_query($sql);

// IF mysql_query() RETURNS FALSE, GET THE ERROR REASONS
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-error.php
if (!$res)
{
    $errmsg = mysql_errno() . ' ' . mysql_error();
    echo "<br/>QUERY FAIL: ";
    echo "<br/>$sql <br/>";
    die($errmsg);
}
// IF WE GET THIS FAR, THE QUERY SUCCEEDED AND WE HAVE A RESOURCE-ID IN $res SO WE CAN NOW USE $res IN OTHER MYSQL FUNCTIONS




// DETERMINE HOW MANY ROWS OF RESULTS WE GOT
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-num-rows.php
$num = mysql_num_rows($res);
if (!$num)
{
    echo "<br/>QUERY FOUND NO DATA: ";
    echo "<br/>$sql <br/>";
}
else
{
    echo "<br/>QUERY FOUND $num ROWS OF DATA ";
    echo "<br/>$sql <br/>";
}




// ITERATE OVER THE RESULTS SET TO SHOW WHAT WE FOUND
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-fetch-assoc.php
echo "<pre>\n"; // MAKE IT EASY TO READ
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($res))
{
    // MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.var-dump.php
    var_dump($row);
}




// A WAY OF DETERMINING HOW MANY ROWS WE HAVE IN A TABLE
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/mysql_fetch_array
$sql = "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM my_table";
$res = mysql_query($sql);

// IF mysql_query() RETURNS FALSE, GET THE ERROR REASONS
if (!$res)
{
    $errmsg = mysql_errno() . ' ' . mysql_error();
    echo "<br/>QUERY FAIL: ";
    echo "<br/>$sql <br/>";
    die($errmsg);
}
// GET THE RESULTS SET ROW IN AN ARRAY WITH A NUMERIC INDEX - POSITION ZERO IS THE COUNT
$row = mysql_fetch_array($res, MYSQL_NUM);
$num = $row[0];




// MAKING AN INSERT QUERY AND TESTING THE RESULTS
$sql = "INSERT INTO my_table (username) VALUES ('$safe_username')";
$res = mysql_query($sql);

// IF mysql_query() RETURNS FALSE, GET THE ERROR REASONS
if (!$res)
{
    $errmsg = mysql_errno() . ' ' . mysql_error();
    echo "<br/>QUERY FAIL: ";
    echo "<br/>$sql <br/>";
    die($errmsg);
}
// GET THE AUTO_INCREMENT ID OF THE RECORD JUST INSERTED - PER THE DB CONNECTION
// MAN PAGE: http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-insert-id.php
$id  = mysql_insert_id($db_connection);

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While I still can't see any sql error messages in my code, this answer helped me find the problem. I was able to run my query directly in mySql and find the problem.

I had more than 2 columns in my table, and I wasn't specifying the column names.

Thanks!

Hmm... From the accepted solution it looks like you do not understand how to use the PHP programming language to detect MySQL errors.  Hope you but that book.  As Alexander Pope wrote, "A little learning is a dangerous thing."
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/phpmysql4/

Ray_Paseur: I appreciate the effort, but it's not possible for me to learn everything from one script. As I've said in the beginning, I am an extremely new programmer to php. I've been a VB programmer for a long time.

I needed a quick solution for this problem, and I got that from palanee83. I will look into the book that you recommended. I know that I have a lot to learn. I just finished the "PHP and MySQL Web Development" book by Luke Welling and Laura Thomson.

Thanks for your effort.