How to get mysql-result into a php variable

This is perhaps elementary, but I cannot find solution in the documentation I want to transfer to a php variable wheter I find a matching firstname in a group from mysql db function lookupFirstname ($fname, $gr, $conection) { $sql = "SELECT firstname AS matches "; $sql .= "FROM persons "; $sql .= "WHERE firstname = '$fname' AND group='$gr';"; if (!$sql_result = mysql_query($sql,$connection) ) {echo "<P>query: "; echo mysql_error(); } $store = mysql_store_result($conn); $result = mysql_num_rows($store); IF ($result > 0) {return 'match' ;} ELSE {return 'nomatch';} } I get error message that funcion mysql_stor_result() is not defined How shall I use thees two funcions? Thank you Olav