Combining these MySQL queries - mysql

Question

I am learning MySQL and messing about with joins. I am wondering if I can cut these queries down and combine them. This is what I would NORMALLY do:
$stmt = $db_pdo->prepare('SELECT date, table2_id, comments
FROM table1
WHERE user = "victor"');
$stmt->execute();
foreach ($stmt as $row) {
$table2_id = $row['table2_id'];
}
$stmt = $db_pdo->prepare('SELECT table3_id
FROM table2
WHERE table2_id = '.$table2_id.'');
$stmt->execute();
foreach ($stmt as $row) {
$table3_id = $row['table3_id'];
}
$stmt = $db_pdo->prepare('SELECT previous_comments_count
FROM table3
WHERE table3_id = '.$table3_id.'');
$stmt->execute();
foreach ($stmt as $row) {
$table3_id = $row['table3_id'];
}
(I changed the variables, so it looks stupid on purpose--I did not design the table for this company)
Basically, I need to get most of my information from the first table, but there is one "id" that needs to cross two tables that I would like to put into the first query.
So what I tried was:
$stmt = $db_pdo->prepare('SELECT date, table2_id, comments
FROM table1
LEFT JOIN table2
ON table1.table2_id = table2.table2_id
LEFT JOIN table3
ON table2.table3_id = table3.table3_id
WHERE user = "victor"');
And obviously my first (and many tweaked versions of this line) have failed, leading to a blank fetch.
I can do the first left join, but even that doesn't seem to show the information from the second table. The second and third tables do not have the same columns as the first table. (I don't think this is a problem but I could be wrong.)
I've done some reading on various websites, and though I love figuring out my problems on my own, I think it's best to ask if what I'm trying to accomplish is even possible and to try and get it done ASAP. I've read some other questions like this, but I am just simply befuddled looking at the complexity of this let alone those ones. (It's one of those days...)
It could be that I'm also using pdo and prepared statements for the first time as well, I do NOT think that's the problem, but I apologize if it is. I'm not a MySQL genius and have not spent much time with databases.
Also (side question, if permitted): Do I have to use foreach? Or can I just trust that calling $stmt after the execute is good enough? (AKA passes true/false on the ONE result that should show up)

Answer 1

Try the joins like this:
table3
LEFT JOIN table2
ON table3.table3_id = table2.table3_id
LEFT JOIN table1
ON table2.table2_id = table1.table2_id