Select Function Not Working Properly

[White_Lily]

Hi, i have just tried writing a function that when the needed variables are filled it will select that data from the database. Problem is is that the php.ini file is coming up with errors saying that the "$result" varible is undefined. Here's the code:

 

<?php

   /***************************
   *Connect to a database
   ***************************/
   function connect(){
       $host = $GLOBALS["host"];
       $user = $GLOBALS["user"];
       $pass = $GLOBALS["pass"];
       $database = $GLOBALS["dbase"];

       $con = mysql_connect($host, $user, $pass) or die("Could not connect.");
       $db = mysql_select_db($database) or die("Could not select database.");
   }

   /***************************
   *Select data from database
   ***************************/
   function select($amount = "*", $table, $where = NULL, $order = NULL, $limit = NULL){
       $query = "SELECT ".$amount." FROM ".$table;
       if($where != NULL){
           $query .= " WHERE ".$where;
       }
       if($order != NULL){
           $query .= " ORDER BY ".$order;
       }
       if($limit != NULL){
           $query .= " LIMIT ".$limit;
       }

       $result = mysql_query($query);
   }

   /*function bannerImage($imgLink, $image, $alt){

   }*/
?>

 

and the code in the page i want data to show on:

 

              	 <?php
                       select("*", "pages");
                       $num = mysql_num_rows($result);
                       $fetch = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
                       if($num != 0){
                           $heading = $fetch["name"];
                           $content = $fetch["pageContent"];
                           $active = $fetch["active"];
                           if($active == 1){
                               echo "<h1>".$heading."</h1>";
                               echo "<p>".$content."</p>";
                           }
                       }else{
                           echo "You need to enter page data into the database before extracting.";
                       }
                   ?>

 

Any help is gladly appreciated.

[Jessica]

In your second section of code, where is $result defined? The error is fairly clear. Your function returns a value and you do nothing with it...

[White_Lily]

Okay... well how do i define the variable? I was under the impression that by including the varible in the function i would only have to do mysql_num_rows($result); etc...

[Jessica]

http://php.net/manual/en/language.functions.php

http://php.net/manual/en/functions.user-defined.php

http://php.net/manual/en/functions.returning-values.php

http://php.net/manual/en/language.variables.scope.php

[White_Lily]

None of that actually helped... did returns like other people do them and still nothing, there aren't any spelling mistakes, and variables are constructed correctly... still getting the same undefined variable error...

[Jessica]

When you return a value, you must assign it to a new variable if you want to use it. There is no way you read all of those links in that short amount of time. :/

[White_Lily]

Well thats odd...

 

$queryString = "SELECT ".$rows." FROM ".$table;
   if($where != null)
       $queryString .= " WHERE ".$where;
   if($order != null)
       $queryString .= " ORDER BY ".$order;
   if($limit != null)
       $queryString .= " LIMIT ".$limit;
   if($offset != null)
       $queryString .= " OFFSET ".$offset;

   $query = mysql_query($queryString);

       // if query is successful
   if($query)
       return $query;
   else
       return false;

 

That code works, but i don't see variables being re-assigned new variables >_>

[Jessica]

That has nothing to do with your original question.

 

The error is telling you - $result is undefined. It's defined within your function, but not when you try to use it after calling the function, because that's not how functions work.

 

See the code below.

function changeName(){
  $name = 'John';
  return $name;
}

$name = 'Bob';
changeName();
echo $name;

 

What will be echo'd?

 

Now change it to

$name = 'Bob';
$name = changeName();
echo $name;

 

How are they DIFFERENT?

[White_Lily]

Ah okay... sorry, have been told to learn using functions because ive been apprently cluttering my code with things queries, whereas i could just call one function wherever it needs to be, and thus making my coding more simple, and easier to read.