Possibly insane request

[jerryrowe]

My users have search pages that have dozens of variables. 

I thought it would be easiest to somehow just jam the whole lot into the database as a huge text string, and then just retrieve that one database entry as a giant string and echo it all to set all the variables in one big chunk, instead of working with an array.

 

The problem is that I don't think it is possible to declare a variable when you are echoing, and this vexes me.

For instance, I would LIKE to be able to store this, exactly as you see it, as a database entry:

echo $username='MrCool'; 
echo $superpower='Awesomeness';

 

But see, those variables have already been declared, and so you wind up actually getting this, instead:

MrCoolMrCool
AwesomenessAwesomeness

 

So, I am scratching my head, and am not even sure that what I am trying to do is possible.  I want to declare variables IN an echo, and I don't think it is possible.

 

I tried doing the $$var and ${$var} thing, but that didn't work, either.

 

So...

[*]Am I trying to do the impossible?

[*]Is there something *like* what I am trying to do, where I can just store a huge chunk at once and not worry about a complex function?

 

Thanks for reading, and I hope someone can help!

[ignace]

Have you tried eval?

[Muddy_Funster]

It would make more sense to have a seperate settings table with individual fields for all the variables that joins with the user table, rather than having a single text field for storing every variable for that user.  Setting default values within the database for the variables would have a standard "template" produced for every new user with the ability to update and change after user creation. I just think it makes things much easier to manage in the long term.

[kickstart]

Hi

 

You could declare variables in the table field and use eval to execute it, but this is a bit risky as someone could insert some fairly damaging code in there.

 

Think echo $username='MrCool'; would produce 'McCool' irrespective of whether it is assigned a value first.

 

I would be very tempted to split the variables off into a separate table:-

 

Id      MasterId    FieldName    FieldValue

1      1                username    MrCool

2      1                superpower  Awesomeness

 

 

Then when your record from the main table is read you then read all the matching records (ie, MasterId) from this table.

 

<?php

$MasterId = 1;
$somevars = mysql_query("SELECT FieldName, FieldValue FROM VarsTable WHERE MasterId = $MasterId");

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($somevars))
{
$$row['FieldName'] = $row['FieldValue'];
}

?>

 

That said I wouldn't want to use variable variable names unless 100% necessary. Will likely give code that is very difficult to maintain and shouldn't be necessary.

 

All te best

 

Keith