row count in mysql

first my codes
$link = mysql_connect("localhost","root","123") or die (mysql_errno()."<br/>". mysql_error());
$db = mysql_select_db("forum",$link) or die (mysql_errno()."<br/>". mysql_error());

i can count rows using mysql console
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM user

and i can count rows using following code

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM user", $link);
$num_rows = mysql_num_rows($result);

echo "$num_rows Rows\n";

why can not i count rows following ?

[PHP]echo mysql_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM user",$link);

its output is
Resource id #4[/QUOTE]

I think COUNT needs a GROUP clause...

I think COUNT needs a GROUP clause...
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http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7000/snap1vg6.gif

You need to select the value from the first result with mysql_result() (http://php.net/mysql_result):
$result = mysql_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM user", $link);
$num_rows = mysql_result($result, 0);
echo "$num_rows Rows\n"