fatal error with php4 beginer

aaronbosco

userviewer.php from the book php4 beginers by wrox
im having a problem with the code they gave me
im getting a fatal error_message

the error

Fatal error: Call to undefined function: error_message() in /home/virtual/site164/fst/var/www/html/articleviewer.php on line 16

the code

<?php
include "common_db.php";
function list_records() {
global $default_dbname, $user_tablename;
global $default_sort_order, $default_order_by, $records_per_page;
global $sort_order, $order_by, $cur_page;
global $PHP_SELF;

$link_id = db_connect($default_dbname);
if(!$link_id) error_message(sql_error());

$query = "SELECT count(*) FROM $user_tablename";

$result = mysql_query($query);
16--- if(!$result) error_message(sql_error());

$query_data = mysql_fetch_row($result);
$total_num_user = $query_data[0];
if(!$total_num_user) error_message('No User Found!');
$page_num = $cur_page + 1;

$total_num_page = $last_page_num
= ceil($total_num_user/$records_per_page);

WinterDragon

Why are you making PHP_SELF global? its already global... oh well, sql_error() is a function? I didn't know that, I thought mysql_error() was... but not sql_error... hrmmm, (Excuse my ignorance). I'd personally make everything in brackets... add un-needed stuff.. such as brackets, and extra lines of code, just to make sure everything is correct.

bird_boy

I have not read this particular book, however I have read several php books. A lot of times I have found that the author defines several predefined functions. The book I have has some nice ones, but they are not always necessary. So I would say check eariler in the book or the chapter to see if he has setup some type of functions file.
Also a lesson I learned the hard way. I spent a lot of money on two or three books. One was really good; the others are soso. I found that the PHP manual is my best friends. It cuts right to the chase to explain whats going on...and hey it's free.