variables from different plugins

[ZenMastr1968]

Hi all,
I've been looking for an answer to this question, but haven't run across one yet.

I've built a plugin to replace the postbit template for a poster based on that poster being in a particular usergroup. At the same time I also need to query some custom tables that have been added to the database for some additional info I want to add to this new custom postbit template. I'm unable to make the db querries at the same hook point as the template (and therefore in the same plugin) as it gives me an error about unknown function calls when I try to execute db->query_read, so I found another hook a little bit higher in the particular code and created a new plugin just to query the database and build the corresponding html strings. That second plugin works without error and I get the proper information if I debug the plugin with print statements, but I get no values in the template.

So the question is, should I be able to generate variables in one plugin and use those same values in other plugins and if so, what's the trick to make it work???

Thanks

[Dismounted]

Unless you want to be running queries on every post you want that information, you should be adding it to the big query that fetches all the user info (in showthread.php).