[SOLVED] Calling PHP variables from MYSQL data?

[woolyg]

This could be an easy one.. or just not possible:)

 

I'm trying to write a commentary engine for a game idea that I'm doing. I'm declaring standard variables at the start of the page, then what I want to do is call a commentary bit of text from MySQL. The commentary itself contains references to PHP variables declared earlier in the page.

 

However, when I call the text from the DB, the variable is printed in plain text on the page - it doesn't refer to the variable declared earlier in the page.

 

 

example:

<?php

$sex_possessive_single = "his";

/*
$query = "
SELECT * 
FROM commentary 
WHERE ball_start = '$starter' 
ORDER BY RAND() 
LIMIT 1 
";
$run_query = mysql_query($query);
$display_query = mysql_fetch_assoc($run_query);

... as a result of the above query, the output is
*/

$commentary = "The keeper falls backwards, and somehow the ball hits the base of $sex_possessive_single feet, preventing catastrophe. The right defender takes the ball under control, and moves off.";


?>

 

The commentary being printed is:

The keeper falls backwards, and somehow the ball hits the base of $sex_possessive_single feet, preventing catastrophe. The right defender takes the ball under control, and moves off.

 

I was expecting it to say:

The keeper falls backwards, and somehow the ball hits the base of his feet, preventing catastrophe. The right defender takes the ball under control, and moves off.

 

- I want the output to say HIS where it says $sex_possessive_single.

 

Is there a way to place a PHP variable in the form of $variable into a mysql table (varchar field) and have the variable populate properly upon recall?

 

I hope this is clear enough to understand.

 

Cheers all,

WoolyG

 

[Carth]

I don't know how to do exactly what you asked.

 

One thing you could do is write:

 

The keeper falls backwards, and somehow the ball hits the base of %s feet, preventing catastrophe. The right defender takes the ball under control, and moves off.

 

And then

 

$commentary = sprintf($commentary, $sex_possessive_single);

 

You can have as many %s (strings) or other things like %d for when an integer is expected, then just list them afterwards as parameters to sprintf() or printf(). So long as they are in the same order.

 

Or you can do a str_replace()

 

$commentary = str_replace("\$sex_possessive_single", $sex_possessive_single, $commentary);

 

Trouble with that is you have to write it for every different variable.

[woolyg]

Hey Carth,

 

Thanks for the answer. I've had a brainstorm and decided to do a simple str_replace(). If I drop the dollar sign from the start of the sex_posssessive_single variable within the DB, and do the following:

 

 

<?php
$sex_possessive_single = "his";

$commentary_ttr = ("sex_possessive_single"); 
$commentary_rt = ($sex_possessive_single);

$commentary1 = $display_query['commentary'];
$commentary = str_replace($commentary_ttr, $commentary_rt, $commentary1);

?>

 

Once I change the entry within the db for the commentary to:

The keeper falls backwards, and somehow the ball hits the base of sex_possessive_single feet, preventing catastrophe. The right defender takes the ball under control, and moves off.

 

.. the str_replace changes:

 

sex_possessive_single

 

to

 

his

 

.. and it prints beautifully.

 

Thanks!