[The Keeper]

Ok I looked at my code, and this appears to work fine now for both flat files and database:

// ### HACK FOR WHO'S CHATTING

$query_chatonline ="SELECT COUNT(*) FROM connections WHERE userid IS NOT NULL";
$count = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query($query_chatonline));
$count_chatter = $count[0];





// ###################### Start getavatarurl #######################
function fetch_avatar_url($userid)
{
	global $DB_site, $session, $vboptions;

	if ($avatarinfo = $DB_site->query_first("
		SELECT user.avatarid, user.avatarrevision, avatarpath, NOT ISNULL(avatardata) AS hascustom, customavatar.dateline
		FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user AS user
		LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "avatar AS avatar ON avatar.avatarid = user.avatarid
		LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "customavatar AS customavatar ON customavatar.userid = user.userid
		WHERE user.userid = $userid"))
	{
		if (!empty($avatarinfo['avatarpath']))
		{
			return $avatarinfo['avatarpath'];
		}
		else if ($avatarinfo['hascustom'])
		{
			if ($vboptions['usefileavatar'])
			{
				return "$vboptions[avatarurl]/avatar{$userid}_{$avatarinfo[avatarrevision]}.gif";
			}
			else
			{
				return "image.php?u=$userid&dateline=$avatarinfo[dateline]";
			}
		}
		else
		{
			return '';
		}
	}
}



//if anyone is chatting.....
if($count_chatter >0)
{
 
	//get the uids of the chatters
	$query_userid = "SELECT userid FROM connections WHERE userid IS NOT NULL";
	$show_userid = mysql_query($query_userid);
	$row_show_userid = mysql_fetch_assoc($show_userid);
	
	//build an array of the userids
	do {	
	$userids[] = $row_show_userid['userid'];	
	} while ($row_show_userid = mysql_fetch_assoc($show_userid));
	

// Get the usernames and build the outputVar for the template
foreach($userids as $val)
{

	//Get the username for each chatter
	$show_username= $DB_site->query("select username from user where userid=".intval($val));
	$row_show_username = mysql_fetch_assoc($show_username);


	//pass the userid to the avatar_resize.php
	$chatavatar = fetch_avatar_url($val);


	// store the htmloutput for each user in $temp 
	$temp = "<td><tr>";
	$temp.= "<img src=\"$chatavatar\">";
	$temp.= "<div align=\"center\">";
	$temp.= "<a href=\"member.php?u=".$val."\">".$row_show_username['username']."</a>";
	$temp.= "</div>";
	$temp.= "</tr><td>";
	

	// concatenate the temp stuff to > $chatusers
	$chatusers = $chatusers.$temp;
	
}; // End foreach



}; // End $count_chatter >0


// surround the $chatusers with some table tags and assign it to a template var
$chatter['usernames'] = "<table><tr>".$chatusers."</tr></table>";

// assign the number of people to a templatevar, so that we can have some conditions on the forumhome-template
$chatter['count'] = $count_chatter;