use fetch_row and not fetch_assoc for queryFirstField and queryFirstColumn -- it should be a bit faster

db.class.php

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class DB
       if (DB::$dbName != '') $dbName = DB::$dbName;
       DB::$current_db = $dbName;
       $mysql = new mysqli(DB::$host, DB::$user, DB::$password, $dbName, DB::$port);
-      DB::queryNull("SET NAMES %s", DB::$encoding);
+      $mysql->set_charset(DB::$encoding);
     } 
     
     return $mysql;
@@ -361,6 +361,26 @@ class DB
     return $result;
   }
   
+  public static function queryAllArrays() {
+    $args = func_get_args();
+    
+    $query = call_user_func_array('DB::queryUnbuf', $args);
+    $result = DB::fetchAllArrays($query);
+    DB::freeResult($query);
+    DB::$num_rows = count($result);
+    
+    return $result;
+  }
+  
+  public static function queryOneList() { $args = func_get_args(); return call_user_func_array('DB::queryFirstList', $args); }
+  public static function queryFirstList() {
+    $args = func_get_args();
+    $query = call_user_func_array('DB::queryUnbuf', $args);
+    $result = DB::fetchArray($query);
+    DB::freeResult($query);
+    return $result;
+  }
+  
   public static function queryOneRow() { $args = func_get_args(); return call_user_func_array('DB::queryFirstRow', $args); }
   public static function queryFirstRow() {
     $args = func_get_args();
@@ -371,7 +391,20 @@ class DB
   }
   
   
-  public static function queryFirstColumn() { $args = func_get_args(); return DB::prependCall('DB::queryOneColumn', $args, null); }
+  public static function queryFirstColumn() { 
+    $args = func_get_args();
+    $results = call_user_func_array('DB::queryAllArrays', $args);
+    $ret = array();
+    
+    if (!count($results) || !count($results[0])) return $ret;
+    
+    foreach ($results as $row) {
+      $ret[] = $row[0];
+    }
+    
+    return $ret;
+  }
+  
   public static function queryOneColumn() {
     $args = func_get_args();
     $column = array_shift($args);
@@ -391,7 +424,13 @@ class DB
     return $ret;
   }
   
-  public static function queryFirstField() { $args = func_get_args(); return DB::prependCall('DB::queryOneField', $args, null); }
+  public static function queryFirstField() { 
+    $args = func_get_args();
+    $row = call_user_func_array('DB::queryFirstList', $args);
+    if ($row == null) return null;    
+    return $row[0];
+  }
+  
   public static function queryOneField() {
     $args = func_get_args();
     $column = array_shift($args);
@@ -431,6 +470,22 @@ class DB
     }
     return $A;
   }
+  
+  public static function fetchArray($result = null) {
+    if ($result === null) $result = DB::$queryResult;
+    if (! ($result instanceof MySQLi_Result)) return null;
+    return $result->fetch_row();
+  }
+  
+  public static function fetchAllArrays($result = null) {
+    $A = array();
+    while ($row = DB::fetchArray($result)) {
+      $A[] = $row;
+    }
+    return $A;
+  }
+  
+  
 }
 
 class WhereClause {

simpletest/BasicTest.php

@@ -97,6 +97,16 @@ class BasicTest extends SimpleTest {
     $charlie_password = DB::queryOneField('password', "SELECT * FROM accounts WHERE username IN %ls AND username = %s", 
       array('Charlie', 'Charlie\'s Friend'), 'Charlie\'s Friend');
     $this->assert($charlie_password === 'goodbye');
+    
+    $passwords = DB::queryFirstColumn("SELECT password FROM accounts WHERE username=%s", 'Bart');
+    $this->assert(count($passwords) === 1);
+    $this->assert($passwords[0] === 'hello');
+    
+    $username = $password = $age = null;
+    list($age, $username, $password) = DB::queryOneList("SELECT age,username,password FROM accounts WHERE username=%s", 'Bart');
+    $this->assert($username === 'Bart');
+    $this->assert($password === 'hello');
+    $this->assert($age == 15);
   }
   
   function test_4_query() {