Returns an associative array that corresponds to the fetched row and moves the internal data pointer ahead. mysql_fetch_assoc is equivalent to calling mysql_fetch_array with MYSQL_ASSOC for the optional second parameter. It only returns an associative array.
If two or more columns of the result have the same field names, the last column will take precedence. To access the other column(s) of the same name, you either need to access the result with numeric indices by using mysql_fetch_row or add alias names. See the example at the mysql_fetch_array description about aliases.
An important thing to note is that using mysql_fetch_assoc is not significantly slower than using mysql_fetch_row, while it provides a significant added value.