Help with programming Functions in PHP

[Ocean]

Originally Posted by Colin F

I'm not sure what you mean by "only at that moment".
The data is saved in the variable and this is usable like any other variable.

I thought "echo" was an immediate output function - so that if you ran the following...

PHP Code:

 
<?
 
$i = 10;
 
echo ($i);
 
?>

...you would have "10" displayed on screen.

Was I mistaken?

[Colin F]

Originally Posted by Ocean

I thought "echo" was an immediate output function - so that if you ran the following...

PHP Code:

 
<?
 
$i = 10;
 
echo ($i);
 
?>

...you would have "10" displayed on screen.

Was I mistaken?

Oh of course

I just wrote the echo line to show that the variable can be used normally. You don't have to echo it, you can use it like any other variable.

[Ocean]

Originally Posted by Colin F

Oh of course

I just wrote the echo line to show that the variable can be used normally. You don't have to echo it, you can use it like any other variable.

My mistake.


Well, that being the case - I'm still curious - is there any difference in function or performance between returning the values or globalising the variables? Or are there no significant differences or merits to using one as opposed to the other?

[Natch]

Globalising a variable is useful IMO when you have a lot of data you wanna pass back in many different variables, whereas a small function for a sepcific purpose might just return one value or array, in which case returning the variable and keeping it out of the $GLOBALS array may be more suitable.

Two examples:

- passing a number to a function to return a ordinalised string (1, 2, 3 => 1st, 2nd, 3rd) would be better simply to have

PHP Code:

$parsed_string = ordinalise($number); 


and

PHP Code:

function ordinalize($num) 
{
    if (!is_numeric($num))
        return $num;

    if ($num >= 11 and $num <= 19) return $num."th";
    elseif ( $num % 10 == 1 ) return $num."st";
    elseif ( $num % 10 == 2 ) return $num."nd";
    elseif ( $num % 10 == 3 ) return $num."rd";
    else return $num."th";
} 


NOTE: I know this could be switched, but this is just an example)

- If you are trying to test for or generate a data caches, you might be better off globalising them at the start of the function, then you wont have to create a multi-dimensional array of the values you want to return, then

PHP Code:

list($cacheone, $cachetwo, $cache_three) = caching_function(); 


afterwards...

I hope that makes sense?

[Ocean]

Originally Posted by Natch

Globalising a variable is useful IMO when you have a lot of data you wanna pass back in many different variables, whereas a small function for a sepcific purpose might just return one value or array, in which case returning the variable and keeping it out of the $GLOBALS array may be more suitable.

I think I understand.

[Natch]

Originally Posted by Ocean

I think I understand.

If I can clarify in more detail, or give you seom more detailed examples of where I have/would use global variables and where I have/would return values, just PM me and I can give you a look at some of the apps I've written...

[Ocean]

Originally Posted by Natch

If I can clarify in more detail, or give you seom more detailed examples of where I have/would use global variables and where I have/would return values, just PM me and I can give you a look at some of the apps I've written...

Thanks, Natch. I truly appreciate your help, as well as the help offered by everyone else.


Thanks, all!