Neater way to extract 'count(id)' style entries from query->row() call

[eluser]jedd[/eluser]
[quote author="JayTee" date="1235937401"]

Code:

$raw_count = $this->db->query("select count(*) as ct from yourtable")->row(0)->ct;

[/quote]

Ah, excellent, thanks. I've used 'AS' before, but only when trying to neaten out joins from tables with identical named columns. Didn't even think of it here.

Be aware that Method Chaining only works with PHP 5.

Which brings up that ol' hoary chestnut of how committed to writing PHP4-compatible code is the average CI user? I'm in two minds - the PHP4 side is encouraged by the fact that (pretty much) all CI example code uses PHP4-isms - and the PHP5 side by the fact that pretty much all my other reference material is based on PHP5.

For my own future readability I think I'll go halfway between my three lines and JayTee's one line, in this particular instance.