Generating a variable name in a FOR LOOP

pelican

I currently have a form that is generated based on a number entered by the user on a previous page. If the user enters a 6, the generated form will display a table with 6 drop downs on it (all with the same selections in them). I have made the script name these controls within a FOR loop. Therefore, the name (and thus the variable name) will be AGE1,AGE2,AGE3 etc.

The problem I am having is referring to these on the following page. The code I currently have is:

<?php for ($j=1; $j <= $emps; $j++)
{
echo "$age", $j;
}
?>

$emps is the user entered value. This obviously gives me the output of 'age1age2' etc....

I guess what I am asking is do I need to learn how to use a variable array or is there some kind of operator that will tell php to output the value of $age1?

if I put the code

echo $age1

I get the value the user selected in that dropdown, so I know the value is being passed successfully.

Thanks in advance

WinterDragon

There comes a time for something called "variable variables" hehe... make a variable with the value of another variable, doesn't make any sense? Its about to...

ok lets say... $number is the value they enter... alright?


$number = 3;

for($i=1;$i<=$number;$i++) {

$string = "ace" . $i;

#That will create "ace1", and "ace2", etc... up until the max number..
#Those are the values anyways, now lets create the variable

$$string = "blah blah";
}
#that will create a variable "ace1" that has the value of "blah blah" and a variable of "ace2" and the same value, as well as with "ace3"... etc...  Hope you understand :)

pelican

Thanks! That was what I was looking for.

Didn't understand the use of $$.

WinterDragon

nod nod... variable names are just strings, as well as function names, so you can call them with the value, as long as its a string... or create them... SO creating a variable from the value of another variable is just fine... so first we start by putting a $ where we start a variable...

Now, just like we "echo" a variable, or use its value, we put that next...

$$variable

Now we declare what we want..

$$variable = "whateveR";

Hope that explains it... you can of course go to www.php.net and read about it.

jimson

get yourself a manual.. PHP manual from
http://www.php.net

in winbox, download the .chm version