why -> works and <- doesn't

Because although the correct surname is 'Dare' your sql is using 'Dare"'. The next record to 'Dare"' will be 'Ebert', the " makes no difference. The previous record to 'Dare' using the sql  < 'Dare"' will be 'Dare' so it becomes stuck

Looking at the code you posted Re^6: CGI Action call

#Last record Tested Good
       
$stmt = "SELECT * FROM ( 
   SELECT * FROM users 
   WHERE $searchfield <= ? AND $searchfield >= ? 
   ORDER BY $searchfield DESC LIMIT 1 ) sub
ORDER BY $searchfield ASC"; 

#example lastname 
   SELECT * FROM ( 
   SELECT * FROM users 
   WHERE lastname >='z%' AND lastname >= 'a%'
   ORDER BY user_id DESC LIMIT 1 ) sub
   ORDER BY lastname ASC #Works fine hard coded
[download]

The hard coded version has a mistake with >='z%' which should be <= as in the $stmt. Correcting that mistake would give you

   SELECT * FROM ( 
   SELECT * FROM users 
   WHERE lastname <='z%' AND lastname >= 'a%'
   ORDER BY user_id DESC LIMIT 1 ) sub
   ORDER BY lastname ASC
[download]

But, if you think that works correctly then add the name 'Ryan Zimmerman' to you user table and try navigating to last record. Then try the simpler

SELECT * FROM users 
ORDER BY lastname DESC
LIMIT 1
[download]

Whilst this is SQL and not perl, applying the KISS_principle to both makes bugs more easily tracked down.I suspect there are more depending on how you are persisting the sort order between cgi calls

poj

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