JOIN three tables not quite producing results needed - mysql

Question

I have tried for a number of hours to get this. I am still quite new to mysql but have managed to achieve queries that I was impressed with after using the resources and examples I found. I am a bit stuck here. Apologies if I do not ask this very well.
Three tables that are used for managing categories and category membership within a project.
table a = project membership
id user_id project_id
== ======= ==========
1 1 10
2 1 12
3 3 45
4 5 12
table b = categories
id name project_id
== ==== ==========
1 cat1 10
2 cat4 12
3 cat8 45
tabke c = category members
id user_id_added category_id capability
== ============= =========== ==========
1 1 2 1
2 3 3 2
3 5 3 1
4 5 2 0
Required result
members of project 2
user_id category capability_in_category
======= ======== ======================
1 2 1
5 2 0
SELECT a.user_id
, c.capability
, b.id as category
FROM a
LEFT OUTER JOIN b
ON a.project_id = c.project_id
LEFT OUTER JOIN c
ON b.id = c.category_id
WHERE a.project_id = $project_id
AND c.category_id = $category_id;
It feels like I don't need to join the three tables, but I do not see a way of joining the project table with the category membership table without using the category table (b). The query I am running nearly works, but user capability is not returning correct. I am using left outer joins as a member may not always be part of a category, but they still need to be shown as a member in the project. I have been trying various joins and subqueries, without success. I basically need a list of the members in the project and if they are part of a category, to show the capability they have of the specific category. I feel there are a few ways of doing this potentially, but there is a gray area I am struggling to bridge.

Answer 1

The question is vague so I might help you to solve the wrong problem but if you want to have all members of a specific project listed (regardless of their capability) and to list the capabilities in a specified category listed as well, then:
SELECT project_memberships.user_id
, category_members.category_id AS category
, category_members.capability AS capability
FROM project_members
LEFT OUTER JOIN categories
ON project_members.project_id = categories.project_id
LEFT OUTER JOIN category_members
ON categories.id = category_members.category_id
AND category_members.user_id_added = project_membership.user_id
WHERE project_members.project_id = $project_id
AND (categories.id = $category_id OR categories.id IS NULL);
should get you that.
I altered tree things compared to your original query:
I used the table names as they are more speaking than "a, b, c"
I added the additional constraint category_members.user_id_added = project_membership.user_id to the second join so as to not join category_members of a different user to a project_members record.
I loosened the WHERE condition so that members not having the desired capability are also displayed. category and capability will be NULL for those records.
As to your question regarding having to join the three tables the answer is yes, you need to do that.