Function returns blank values

[devilsvein]

Trying to create a function to sanitize some variables. What I have done so far is:

 

function securevar ($var)
{
$var = htmlentities($var, ENT_QUOTES);
if ( strlen ($var) >= 9)
{
$var == "401";
}
}

 

database results perfectly come and work if I dont use the above function but as soon as I do:

 

$username = securevar($row['Username']);

 

It returns blank and no error message. Aslo forgot to say var_dump on $username returns NULL

[Jessica]

Your function doesn't return anything. 

 

http://us3.php.net/return

http://us3.php.net/manual/en/functions.returning-values.php

[devilsvein]

Thanks for that jessica. Honestly wouldn't know what I would have done without you. Stupid mistake on my behalf. Was too busy looking at the void functions in c++

[devilsvein]

I was also wondering why doesnt my htmlentities work?

 

It dont want to convert " / ' or other symbols when i look at the display =/

[Jessica]

/ is not a character that needs html encoding. 

[devilsvein]

/ is not a character that needs html encoding.

 

That was suppose to seperate the double and single apostrophies lol

 

But i've tried the & < > and still nothing gets replaced. its displayed exactly the same

[Jessica]

You should post your updated function, sample input and sample output. What do you expect to happen?

[devilsvein]

function securevar($var)
{
$var = htmlentities($var, ENT_QUOTES);
if ( strlen ($var) >= 9)
{
$var == "401";
}
return $var;
}


$username = securevar($row['Username']);

 

Basically what Im expecting to happen is that $row['username']; goes into the function and gets sanitized to prevent xss attacks.

 

it then returns to the same variable the result which is now sanitized. If after being sanitized it has more then 9 digits I print 401 instead of the sanitized name.

 

This then gets stored in a new variable for ease of remebering which is $username

[devilsvein]

Think it was working. I tried <font color red>Name</font> with and without htmlentities and 1 made it red whilst the other just diplayed the markup codes?

 

But it didn't go through the if statement?

[Jessica]

== is comparison. = is assignment.