Something

<?
function db_connect()
{
   $result = @mysql_pconnect("localhost", "root", "");
   if (!$result) return false;
   if (!@mysql_select_db("loco")) return false;
   return $result;
}

function get_categories()
{
   // Petición a la base de datos de una lista de categorías
   $conn = db_connect();
   $query = "select catid, catname
             from categories";

   $result = @mysql_query($query);
   if (!$result) return false;
   $num_cats = @mysql_num_rows($result);
   
   if ($num_cats ==0)return false;
   $result = db_result_to_array($result);

   return $result;
   $result;
}

function display_categories($cat_array)
{
  if (!is_array($cat_array))
  {
     echo "No hay categorías actualmente disponibles<br>";
     return;
  }
  echo "<ul>";
  
  foreach ($cat_array as $row)
  {
    //$url = "show_cat.php?catid=".($row["catid"]);
    $title = $row["catname"];
    echo "<li>";
    do_html_url($url, $title);
  }
  echo "</ul>";
}

function do_html_URL($url, $name)
{
  // output URL as link and br
?>
  <a href="<?=$url?>"><?=$name?></a><br>
<?
}

function db_result_to_array($result)
{
   $res_array = array();

   for ($count=0; $row = @mysql_fetch_array($result); $count++)

     $res_array[$count] = $row;

   return $res_array;
}
?>