variable variables

[vanjito]

I would like to validate a set of simmilar variables or variables written in a database (because there are so many I get lost otherwise)

1. set of simmilar

$variable1_validated = validate_as_letters($variable1);
$variable2_validated = validate_as_letters($variable2);
$variable3_validated = validate_as_letters($variable3);
...

I have many and/or not fixed number of those so...

I'd like to do something like this but don't know the syntax 🙁

for ($i = 1; $i <= 6; $i++) {
$variable$i_validated = validate_as_letters($variable$i);
};

2. variables from database

simmilar problem to prior, 50 variables are in a database, and I need to validate all of them, and on different types of values...

data eg.

variable validation mandatory

name letters yes
age numbers no
...

I'd like to validate these with

$name_validated = validate_as_letters($name) && !empty($name);
$age_validated = validate_as_numbers($age);

I know how to get data from mySQL and all, but just don't know how many $ go where 🙂)

regards, vanjito

[bubblenut]

I went to the php.net site and clicked four times from the home page and found this. Why was it not possible for you to do the same?

[vanjito]

Been there, didn't help me... (how you figure I named the topic the same as they did?)

if you could write me an answer, I'd be very gratefull

[bubblenut]

It gives you the answer right there. Look at the syntax you've used here.

for ($i = 1; $i <= 6; $i++) {
$variable$i_validated = validate_as_letters($variable$i);
}; 

Read the page provided again and then give a couple of ideas of what you think the syntax might be. If you still can't figure it out I'll give you the answer but you really should be able to.

With regards to the second problem. I'm not quite sure what you're going on about. You need to iterate through a resultset from the database, check some of the results and then what? If they're bad do you need to edit them in the database? Throw up some error? Dress up in drag and run away with the circus? 😉

[vanjito]

I'm very sorry to dissapoint you, but I spent few hours last evening looking at this and didn't come up with a solution... 🙁

The whole thing goes around this

I have a coupe of forms, and a lot of variables to get validated.

So I put them in a database - not to get lost among them

If $variableX_validated comes up false then the whole form will not go on and fieldX (in form) will go class="error"

It may be that I'm on a wrong track alltogether, but... I got kinda stuck here (I could just write all those validations, but this seems more... elegant?)

alas...

for ($i=0; $i<4; $i++){

//create the label of the variable;
$var_label_string = "var$i";

//Now evaluate that string as if it were a variable !;
$value_of_that_var = ${$var_label_string};

//now find out if that var is equal to "dog";
if ($value_of_that_var == "dog"){
print "Dog found here: $var_label_string";
}
}

do I have to do it in 2 steps?

like:

$validator = "variable$i_validated"
$var = "variable$i"
${$validator} = validate_as_letters(${$var})

what am I doing wrong?

[bubblenut]

OK OK, I'll stop being such a grumpy old bastard and help.
Lets take the first one.
$variables$i_validated
You want it eventually to say $variable1_validated etc.
so in the variable name "variable" is a string $i is a variable and "validated" is another string. So if we build what the variable name should be, stick it in a variable and then use that variable as the name we get this.

$var='variable'.$i.'_validated';
$$var;

We can make the syntax a little more concise using PHP's brace syntax with variable variables.

${'variable'.$i.'_validated'};

Understand?
Can you do it for the other one?

[bubblenut]

Oh, I didn't see your last response there. Your syntax seems to be sound. What errors are you getting? Can you provide your code?

[vanjito]

AH

DAMN!

this is so straightforward!

${'variable'.$i.'_validated'};

I'm really new to php, and lack much basic knowledge

(now I see that this is mentioned many many times on that php.net page)

very sorry 🙁

other part...

validate_as_letters(${'variable'.$i})

btw, you think there's a better way to validate a bunch of variables?

edit: THANKS A LOT, MAN! really got stuck here 🙂