Grouping results of a recordset

I'm using DA2.0.6 developing a php / MySQL site and have a recordset that pulls a list of locations from a clients list of places where they have depots:

SELECT DISTINCT tbldepots.depotName
FROM tbldepots
ORDER BY tbldepots.depotName

but now want to group and display those records in alphabetical blocks under separate tabs (in a spry tabbed panel section of the page) so all "A*" locations are under the A tab, Bs under B etc.

Currently the repeat region on the page contains all of the records A-Z in a standard do...while loop:

<?php do { ?>
<li><?php echo $row_rsDepots['depotName']; ?></li>
<?php } while ($row_rsDepots = mysql_fetch_assoc($rsDepots)); ?>

I've tried experimenting with strpos etc:

if (strpos($row_rsDepots['depotName'], "a") ===0) {
echo $row_rsDepots['depotName']; }

But am not quite getting it how I think it should be! Am I missing something so obvious at the moment? (can't see the wood for the trees syndrome!!)

Any ideas as to how I can do this without having to run separate recordsets with a WHERE clause to pick out the individual letters?

To group the results in the manner you are describing, you have to first set a variable to be blank, compare it against the grouping, then reset it.


The following is a code example that will create alphabetical headings for the depot names:

<?php $firstLetter = "";?>

<?php do { ?>

  <?php 

     if($firstLetter != substr($row_rsDepots['depotName'], 0, 1)) {       

       echo("<b>".substr($row_rsDepots['depotName'], 0, 1)."</b><br>");

       $firstLetter = substr($row_rsDepots['depotName'], 0, 1);

     }

  ?>

  <?php echo $row_rsDepots['depotName']; ?><br>  

<?php } while ($row_rsDepots = mysql_fetch_assoc($row_rsDepots)); ?>

This post has been deleted.