how to create dynamic variables ?

kbrij

I am having a problem of declaring dynamic variables and using them.

I want to create 12 variables by month numbers like this in a loop of 12 times.

$t_01, $t_02,... $t_12.

I tried both ways. It won't populate the variables with Values.

$t_{$monthstart} += $billing_value
where monthstart = '01' or '02 upto '12'
$t_&monthstart += $billing_value
Reference method. This hangs the script and appears to run forever, dies afterwards.

What mistake am I doing, or is there other way of declaring dynamic variables on the fly.

Thanks in advance.
kbj.

simon622

Hey there,

PHP comes with a funky tool called variable variables.
They use the value of one variable as the name of another.

To use them, use '$$' instead of '$'.

eg.

for($=!; $i <= $numnames; $i++)
{
$temp= "name$i"; //The name of dynamic variable
echo $$temp."<br>"; //or whatever you want to do.
}

Then value of $name1,2,3,4 etc etc... will be used.

Hope this helps.

cahva

Wouldnt it be easier to use arrays perhaps? Or is there a specific reason to use variables?

So it could be like:

$t[$monthstart] += $billing_value

michael

cav is right.

Use an array. A variable variable is not needed here.

Although fun to use, they are only for instances in which you will not know what your variable will be named.

This can be extremely dangerous, because, in some situations, you let the user choose what the variables will be named, thus giving them immediate access to change it.

kbrij

I managed to work around the dynamic variable this way.
${"t_".$monthstart} += $billingvalue

Thank you to both the members above for helping me out.
And yeah, the arrays as suggested by last member would have been a better way, it didn't occor to me to use an array.

at least found a diff. way of using variables somehow 🙂)

Thanks.
bij.