using global variables in a function?

[NeoGeo]

Ok, so I have an interface page with all the forms and everything and I have an include file that contains all the functions I use on the interface.

I also have a session variable created called privilegeID when the user logs into the site and accesses the interface.

I can call the privilegeID variable from the interface, and from the include file as long as the call is outside of a function... once I make the call inside a function it doesn't work...

To get around this I did this:

global $privilegeID

function whatever() {

$privilegeID = $GLOBALS['privilegeID'];

}

This does work, but it seems rediculous that I should have to declare variables this way at the beginning of each function - especially since I have lots of functions and may change the way I handle privileges very soon...

Is there a way I can have the functions automatically recognize the priviligeID variable? I always thought that functions recognized globals without having to declare them first... but I haven't used globals that much so I guess I'm wrong...

Thanks,
Ben

[laserlight]

Since it is a session variable, use the $_SESSION superglobal array.

[NeoGeo]

yeah that is better (no global declaration) but what I'm really trying to get rid of is the declaration in the function:

function whatever() {

echo $privilegeID;

}

rather than

function whatever() {

$privilegeID = $_SESSION['privilegeID'];

echo $privilegeID;

}

any ideas? or is there just no way to do what I want?