query / sort by problem, Absolut Engine

Sorry to dump this on people but...(there is always a butt, isnt there)
I have installed and running the php news posting script Absolut Engine. I am trying to complete a modification that was reccomended in the scripts documentation. The modifiaction is displaying the archive by category. The directions from the readme qouted here

quote:
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For testing a successful query to or from database etc. use variable $outcome ONLY.
part of example script:
@$outcome=mysql_query("DELETE FROM table WHERE column='$column'");
require("failure.php"); /* call failure.php to test successful operation */

There are 4 files for use in public pages. You should copy&paste the
PHP code enclosed in <? ?> brackets to your website pages.
Brief descriptions of files:
showarchive.php - displays the archive of all articles
To display only the articles from one section change this line:
@$outcome=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles WHERE
adate<='$date' ORDER BY adate DESC");
to make it looks like this:
@$outcome=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles WHERE section='$sectionid'
adate<='$date' AND section='$sectionid' ORDER BY adate DESC");
$sectionid is the number shown before the section name in Section manager
showarticle.php?id=$id - displays the article number ID
showsurvey.php?id=$id - displays the survey number ID, if undefined current survey is displayed
addcomment.php - adds comment to an article
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and here is the script that I am trying to modify.

quote:
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<?
$tempdir="admin/";
require("admin/connect.php");
$date=date("Y-m-d");
$pathimages=substr($pathimages,3,999);
$i=0;
$articlenumber=5;
@$outcome=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles WHERE adate<='$date' ORDER BY adate DESC");
require("admin/failure.php");
while ($i<$articlenumber AND $access=mysql_fetch_array($outcome))
{
++$i;
$id=$access["ID"];
$year=strval(substr($access["adate"],0,4));
$month=strval(substr($access["adate"],5,2));
$day=strval(substr($access["adate"],8,2));
$access["adate"]="$day.$month.$year";
$imageset=$access["imageset"];
$outcome2=$outcome;
if ($imageset<>0)
{
@$outcome=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM images WHERE ID='$imageset'");
require("admin/failure.php");
while ($access2=mysql_fetch_array($outcome))
{
$file1=$access2["file1"];
$thumb1=substr($file1,0,-4)."a".substr($file1,-4,4);
} }
$outcome=$outcome2;
echo "</td></tr><tr><td><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="showarticle.php?id=$id">".$access["title"]."</a></font><br>";
echo "<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">".$access["adate"]." | <b>".$access["author"]."</b></font><br>";
if ($file1) echo "<a href="showarticle.php?id=$id"><img src="$pathimages$thumb1" border="0" align="left"></a>n";
echo "<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">".$access["beginning"]."</font>";
$file1="";
$thumb1="";
}
?>
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I have tried changing the reccomended section, with no luck. I even contacted the author of the script for a little help, the following quote is the result of the readme's, talking with the author and hours of head baning frustration. I am trying to display all the articles from section 1, and the below suggestion (according to the author) should work, but it doesnt.

quote:
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@$outcome=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles WHERE section='1'
adate<='$date' AND section='$sectionid' ORDER BY adate DESC");

I am pretty sure I need to make a addition or change somewhere else in the script, but whatever I try doesnt work. A little or a lot of help would be helpful.

Thanks