displaying multiple results only one time...

Ok, I've fifured a few possible solutions that seem really inefficient, but I'm wondering if anyone else has a better idea... running php/mysql while displaying product in a store site you click on a category, this brings up a page of manufacturers of stuff in the category as well as a link to all of the items by every manufacturer in that category. if i select a manufacturer i am supposed to display all items in the selected category first, then all items not in that category below. i tried using two queries SELECT DISTINCT p.Name, p.Prod_ID

       FROM Product p, Product_Category pc
       WHERE p.In_Stock = 1 AND p.Prod_ID = pc.Prod_ID
       AND pc.Cat_ID = '$Cat_ID' AND p.Man_ID = '$Man_ID'

then display results in the selected category SELECT DISTINCT p.Name, p.Prod_ID

       FROM Product p, Product_Category pc
       WHERE p.In_Stock = 1 AND p.Prod_ID = pc.Prod_ID
       AND pc.Cat_ID != '$Cat_ID' AND p.Man_ID = '$Man_ID'

display rest of the manufacturer's products *not* in the selected category... the problem then comes when a product is in more than one category (which is why there is a "Product_Category" table in the first place:) it still shows up in the bottom query (sure, it is not equal to the selected category, but it *is* equal to another category) my two solutions - 3 queries, first query creates a temp table from the result of the first query above, 2nd query to pull info from the temp table and display it, 3rd query to do the second query from above, but instead of "pc.Cat_ID != '$Cat_ID'", compare p.Prod_ID != temp.Prod_ID. the second solution would be similar, but using arrays. run the first query from above and as it is displayed, build an array of Prod_IDs used. then run the second query and put a condition in that only displays if the returned Prod_ID is not an element of the array. which of these solutions would be more efficient? and are there any more elegant/more efficient ways of doing this? thanks in advance, -- __ Tom B ____________ / /\ /\ _________\ / / \ http://www.stypica.org \ \ \______ / / / /\ \ \ \ \ / / / / / /\ \ \ "It's ok honey, Just go in \ \ \/ / / / /_/__\ \ \ my bathroom and find \ \/ / / /________\ \ \ something sticky" - Suriel \ / / \___________\/ \/_/