Getting stuff out of a function

[Pezmc]

I am not a newbie I have just never figured out how to do this (taught my self php).

I have a function say

function socks(test,sock) {
echo $test
echo "I am a fary:"
echo $sock

$total = $test * $sock;

}

 

How can I get the total out of the function to use in other places as a variable, is there a returning function or something?

[obsidian]

You need to have your function return the value. Then, you can assign that function call to a variable:

<?php
function socks($test, $sock) {
  $total = $test * $sock;
  return $total;
}

echo socks(5, 6);
$val = socks(6, ;
echo $val;
?>

[Daniel0]

You could also make the variables global inside the function, then it would, well, do it globally instead of internally inside the function. Example:

 

<?php
$var = "hi";

function change_variable($new)
{
global $var;

$var = $new; // or $_GLOBALS['var'] = $new
}

change_variable("hello"); // $var now holds the value "hello"
?>

[obsidian]

You could also make the variables global inside the function, then it would, well, do it globally instead of internally inside the function. Example:

 

<?php
$var = "hi";

function change_variable($new)
{
global $var;

$var = $new; // or $_GLOBALS['var'] = $new
}

change_variable("hello"); // $var now holds the value "hello"
?>

 

Global variables are very often bad news to use. They are definitely frowned upon more and more as PHP progresses. If you're wanting your function to act upon the variable or object directly, you'd be much better off to pass it in by reference:

<?php
$var = "hi";
function change_variable($new, &$old) {
  $old = $new;
}

change_variable('hello', $var);
echo $var; // now holds the value 'hello'
?>

[Daniel0]

Yeah, but if you have an object you use a lot (e.g. $db), then it might be annoying to pass $db to a lot of functions, in that case global might be better.