Display mysql join/union results differently based on table

Hello, I need to generate a list of activity from multiple tables in order of the date they were entered into the tables, but when i spit them out (with php), i want each result to look specific to a design that i have for each table.

ie...i have the tables: listings, photos, comments

-the results from listings should be designed a certain way, the results from photos should be designed a different way, the results from comments should be designed a third way

-i would like to mesh the results from all three tables into one date-ordered list

*i can pull the results with a mysql join, but i dont know how to alter the results according to the table

does this mack sense? i'm way lost!

From stackoverflow

• The process is this:

  • Query Database, get results back ordered by date
  • Iterate over results creating table, based on date/variable you will assign a CSS class to the current row you are creating. (use an if/switch/function etc. to figure out what class should be assigned)
  • After iteration is done complete the table / etc. and display.
  johnnietheblack : (use an if/switch/function etc. to figure out what class should be assigned)... i guess what i am missing is how do i tell which table the result came from? i can get the results from the column, but i dont know how to identify which table it was in...

  Syntax : When you query you can do something like this for a naming convention: SELECT myTable1.value1 as value1, myTable2.value2 as value2 FROM myTable1 LEFT JOIN myTable2 ON (myTable1.id=myTable2.id) ORDER BY myTable1.date; When you get your results you will have value1 and value2 instead of column names.

  Syntax : Those results assume that you are going to use mysql_fetch_assoc or mysql_fetch_array for your results and not mysql_fetch_rows. You will need an associative array that you can read the key from to tell what result column you are working with.

  johnnietheblack : wordup, thanks syntax...im gonna go try that out:)