function/require problem

Anon

Here is the situation... I'm including a php file which contains all my functions and variables. i'm doing this at the top of my main file (which is 'prototype.php3'). I do it this way:

<?php
require("functions.php3");
//Functions and vars

So when I call the function that I want to use nothing happens. After doing some manual testing I found that it was a problem with the variables. My error happens at the select $dbname line. I have the variables and function setup like this in the functions.php.

$dbserver = 'localhost';
$loginid = 'webdb';
$password = 'computer';
$dbname = 'classeval';

function insertinstructor($ssn,$first,$middle,$last,$email,$date,$passwd){
$mysql_access = mysql_connect($dbserver,$loginid,$password) or die("Database Unavailable.");
mysql_select_db($dbname) or die(reporterror());

$query = "INSERT INTO INSTRUCTOR (INSTRUCTOR_ID, FIRST_NAME, MID_NAME, LAST_NAME, DATE_ADDED, PASSWORD, EMAIL)";
$query .= " VALUES ('$ssn','$first','$middle','$last','$date','$passwd','$email')";
mysql_query($query, $mysql_access) or die(reporterror());
mysql_close();
return;
}

What's my error here?

Anon

do a print $dbname right before the select. see if anything is echoed to the screen because the variable might not be set due to scope, not positive about this. also try adding the link identifyer to the mysql_select_db(DBNAME,CONNECTION LINK). so you would type mysql_select_db($dbname,$mysql_access).

techek

I'm quite sure the variable $dbserver is available outside your function insertinstructor but not inside the function, right?

The reason for this is that your function has a new 'scope' of variables, which in turn means that $dbserver is a totally new variable NOT to be associated with the one by the same name outside of the function.

What you need to do is to use the function GLOBAL, like this :

<?php
function insertinstructor($ssn,$first,$middle,$last,$email,$date,$passwd) {
global $dbserver, $loginid, $password, $dbname;

// code

}
?>

.. this way your function will be able to access the four variables outside the function.

Hint : Have a look at www.php.net/function and pick up some info on functions, global and variables. Happy coding!!