using mysql select query inside functions

[mwdavis23]

I'm trying to write some of my own php functions and can't get a simple mysql select query to work when placed inside a function and then calling that function, but the query does work outside of the function. Do I have to use some special commands to get a select query to work inside a function? I was reading somewhere that a "WHERE" clause doesn't work inside functions but a "HAVING" clause does work, but I couldn't get that to work either.

Thanks

[RedDragon]

if something doesnt work in a function this is mostly because the variables from outside the function are not accessible in the function (they arent global)

example:

function getdata() {
    $query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM ".$table);
    $result = mysql_fetch_array($query);
    return $result['fieldname'];
}
$table = 'tablename';
$value = getdata();

this does not work

you need to make the $table global, the following makes it work:

function getdata() {
    global $table;
    $query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM ".$table);
    $result = mysql_fetch_array($query);
    return $result['fieldname'];
}
$table = 'tablename';
$value = getdata();