global or not?

SwissMac

Am I right in thinking that if I want an INCLUDED file to refer to a variable in the main calling file I need the variable to be global? I am trying to set the page up so table attributes such as border, alignment etc need only be changed in one place. Would the code look something like this?

main.php

<?php
global $border;
$border = "1";
include("table1.inc");
?>

table1.inc

LordShryku

They don't need to be global. The variables just need to be set beore you call the include statement.

drawmack

for something that is going to be sitewide like that I would recommend using constants and an include file called globals.php.

examancer

correct me if i'm wrong, but my understanding is that any variable called in the root of the script (ie: not inside a function, method, or class) is a global variable to begin with. Which is why this peice of code will output correctly:

$test = "this variable may or may not be global.";
test();
function test () {
	echo($GLOBALS['test']);
}

And, PHP is executed sequentially, so like LordShryku said, the only requirement is to set the variable before you include the file thats going to use it.

Lastly, drawmack does have a good point... any sitewide values should be stored in constants... its much cleaner.

SwissMac

Thanks for the ideas... I still have the same problem though.

Can you give me an example of what you mean showing this use of globals and constants, or point me to one? I am having problems with my code which is printing the variable name as the variable name itself and not as the value it represents. Hence:

main.php

<?php
global $border;
$border = "1";
include("table1.inc");
?>

table1.inc

Produces html output of
<table border="$border">

instead of
<table border="1">

Hope you can help - the php manual and other refs in your sig do describe things OK, but not this exact situation and I can't make the necessary leap forwards...

TIA

LordShryku

is table1.inc enclosed in <?php ?> tags?

SwissMac

No. I was told I didn't need this elsewhere on this forum as I had no php in the file, but if I added any php that should be tagged as php. If I tag it I then have to use a load of echo statements I guess with escaped characters such as \" instead of " right?

I did try putting tags around the line in table1.inc which calls the variable but that didn't help; then I tried around only the variable itself within the line and that didn't help either.

If I don't use the variable in the included file, I get a web page produced fine, and I could live with that, but it's a bit clunky and I like efficient code if I can get it. Takes longer to write but saves time long term. It's just learning it that takes ages!

LordShryku

Well, anything that needs php in you inc file should rightfully say so, like

<table border="<?=$border?>">
instead of
<table border="$border">

I'm thinking at least....

SwissMac

Ahhh! It worked - thanks for the tip. I had written the variable inside <?php ?> tags. Leaving out the php bit to give just <? ?> made all the difference. You're a star - thanks a lot!