How to get a function to work [RESOLVED]

[AdRock]

I have got a function to shorten the length of a string so it if is more than 40 characters it has .... at the end

I am having problems calling the function to display the string.  it displays nothing.

This is the first time i've used a function so i don't know if i've done it right

[code]function DisplayURL() {
    if (strlen($url) > 40) {   
         $url = substr($url,0,40);
         echo $url ."..."; }
    else {
         echo $url;
    }
}

//show data matching query:
echo "<table border='0' id='MyTable' class='style3' cellpadding='3'>\n";
echo "<tr bgcolor='#CDE1FF'><th>Name</th><th>Location</th><th>URL</th></tr>\n";

for($i = 0; $i < $numofrows; $i++) {

    $row = mysql_fetch_array($q); //get a row from our result set

    $url = $row['url'];

    if($i % 2) { //this means if there is a remainder
        echo "<tr bgcolor='#FFFFCC'>\n";
    } else { //if there isn't a remainder we will do the else
        echo "<tr bgcolor='#FFFFFF'>\n";
    }
    echo "<td width='30%'>".$row['name']."</td><td width='30%'>".$row['location']."</td><td width='40%'><a href='".$row['url']."' target='_blank'>".DisplayURL()."</a></td>\n";
    echo "</tr>\n";
}[/code]

[shocker-z]

[code]function DisplayURL() {
    global $url;
    if (strlen($url) > 40) { 
        $url = substr($url,0,40);
        echo $url ."..."; }
    else {
        echo $url;
    }
}[/code]
you need ot either make $url a global or use it like this..

[code]function DisplayURL($url) {
    if (strlen($url) > 40) { 
        $url = substr($url,0,40);
        echo $url ."..."; }
    else {
        echo $url;
    }
}[/code]

    echo "<td width='30%'>".$row['name']."</td><td width='30%'>".$row['location']."</td><td width='40%'><a href='".$row['url']."' target='_blank'>".DisplayURL($url)."</a></td>\n";



regards
Liam

[AdRock]

Thanks Liam...that worked

Another problem now....the urls are displayed outside of the table before the first row.
How do i get them to go back into the right table row as an hyperlink.....it's lost the anchor tags

Is it becuase the function echoes the $url and in the line that calls the function the whole line is being echoed to there's an echo within an echo>

[kenrbnsn]

You should return the string from the function instead of echoing it:
[code]<?php
function DisplayURL($url) {
    if (strlen($url) > 40) return(substr($url,0,40) . '...');
    else return($url);
}?>[/code]

Ken

[AdRock]

Thanks Ken....spot on