☰

count()

public function count(string $table): int

Description

Counts the total number of records in a specified database table. This method validates table existence, executes a COUNT(*) query, and returns the result as an integer. It provides a simple way to get the total record count from any table.

Parameters

Parameter Type Description Default Required
table string The name of the database table to count records from. - Yes

Return Value

Type Description
int The total number of records in the specified table, cast to integer.

Exceptions

  • RuntimeException - If the specified table does not exist in the database.
  • PDOException - If there's a database error during query execution.

Example #1: Counting Users

The code sample below demonstrates how to count the total number of users in the 'users' table.

PHP
$total_users = $this->db->count('users');
echo "Total users in the system: " . $total_users;

Example #2: Counting Products with Conditional Logic

The code sample below demonstrates how to use the count result in conditional logic.

PHP
$product_count = $this->db->count('products');

if ($product_count > 0) {
    echo "There are " . $product_count . " products available.";
} else {
    echo "No products found in the catalog.";
}

Example #3: Comparing Counts Across Multiple Tables

The code sample below demonstrates how to count records from different tables for comparison.

PHP
$active_users = $this->db->count('users');
$pending_orders = $this->db->count('orders');
$total_products = $this->db->count('products');

echo "System Statistics:";
echo "- Active Users: " . $active_users . "";
echo "- Pending Orders: " . $pending_orders . "";
echo "- Available Products: " . $total_products;

Important Notes

  • The $table parameter is required.
  • The method validates that the table exists before executing the COUNT query.
  • Returns the count of ALL records in the table (no WHERE clause is applied).
  • The result is cast to integer using (int) type casting.
  • Uses COUNT(*) which counts all rows including those with NULL values.
  • The SQL query uses AS total alias for the count result.
  • If debug mode is enabled, the generated SQL query will be displayed before execution.
  • For large tables, this operation can be resource-intensive; consider caching the result if counting frequently.
  • To count with conditions, use query_bind() with a custom COUNT query containing WHERE clauses.