How: variable common to all users, which exists across server requests

Amn

Hi all !

I am fairly new to PHP, I am wondering whether there exists a method for creating a server variable which will be valid across server requests (i.e. pages).

So basically, i need something exactly like a session variable, except it will be not for users but for the server (application). It will be common to all server requests and client connections.

Any ideas, gurus ? 🙂

Cheers,
Amn.

Mordecai

In every file, write:
$variable = 'value';

Voila.

Amn

Originally posted by Mordecai
In every file, write:
$variable = 'value';

Voila.

Hmm, that I knew from before 🙁==)
Not much 'value' in such a solution.
Pardon me for being straightforward, I just hoped PHP would have something nicer up its sleeves...

Bad:

Changing the name of the varibale requires a replace tool.
PHP has to parse this line (create a variable and assign it a value) in every file.
If I want to change the value of the variable, I, again, need a replace tool.

Well, I guess I ll have to use the method still ..

Thanks,

Amn.

yelvington

Put it in a database. Easy to read, easy to modify, scalable across multiple servers.

Amn

Originally posted by yelvington
Put it in a database. Easy to read, easy to modify, scalable across multiple servers.

Thanks for the solution, but frankly, that would be the last thing i would do. Firstly, very cost effective, think of multiplying the access time by amount of pages requesting this variable from database (all, in my case, since they use the $debug for flagging debug code), and you have a highly unnecessary database communication.

all in all, the solution of having it declared and defined as a PHP variable in every page (by including a common header, say, debug.php) sounds the most reasonable in my circumstances...

Also, I would imagine the reasons behind lacking of application state - PHP could also be running as a CGI script, and those are cannot be state-machines.. In other words, there is no way for a CGI script to keep persistent state. Only client variables could do that, I guess, like cookies or something...

Anyway, thanks guys ! 🙂

iceman2g

I have this same problem but the only difference is I only need my variable accessible in the particular file i'm using. I've tryed declaring it at the start of my script but it doesn't seem wo work. Would having a function and a switch in my script affect my variable in anyway?

$total = mysql_query("SELECT SUM(poll_results) FROM store_poll_options WHERE poll_id = '$id'");
if ($total)
$test = $total['poll_results'];

 $id = '3';

I'm trying to declare these two as a variable. I'd like $test to be accesible so I can get a percentage valur for my poll and $id is my poll_id number.

I can post the script if need be.