[Resolved] func_get_args();

[BuzFortuna]

http://us3.php.net/func_get_args

I asked a similar question 2 days ago and fixed it myself but in the thread someone brought up this function and it made me wonder how I could use it. Now I have an idea how to use it but I have no idea how to use it. :p

I want to make a function that will repeat rows requested over and over again, as however you want them formatted. I need func_get_args to calculate how many rows they ask for... and return them.. I don't know how to explain it. For example, I made a function that only displays the first thing that shows... like this:

function echoField($field, $table) {
$query = "SELECT $field FROM $table";
$result = mysql_query($query);
if($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$field = $row["$field"];
echo "$field";
}
}

So if you put:

echoField("Title", "Site");

It would echo whatever is in the Title field of the table Site. Now I want to do something similar, but have it repeat for every row, and do it however you want it to be formatted. So it would do something like this, but dynamic to however many fields they ask for:

function echoRepeat($table, $format, $field1, $field2) {
$query = "SELECT * FROM $table";
$result = mysql_query($query);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
$field1 = $row["$field1"];
$field2 = $row["$field2"];
print $format;
}
}

So if you put:

echoRepeat("Posts", 'Posted on $field1 by $field2<br />', "Date", "Author");

It would show something like:
Posted on 2/2 by BuzFortuna
Posted on 2/3 by BuzFortuna
Posted on 2/4 by BuzFortuna

And so on, for however many rows are returned. The reason I need yo use func_get_args is because the part that defines the variables ($field1 = $row["$field1"]) needs to be repeated for every extra argument, and with a different name. This way they can select however many fields they want and use them...

Hope you get what I'm saying, any help would be GREAT!

[laserlight]

It would be easier to use an array, then define echoRepeat() with just 3 arguments, the last being the array.
If you insist on having a variable number of parameters, then:

function echoRepeat() {
	$f_argc = func_num_args(); //number of arguments passed
	$f_argv = func_get_args(); //array of arguments passed
	//$f_argv[0] contains 1st argument passed
}

[BuzFortuna]

I still don't know how to make it define every array number as a variable...

Let's say I have a table named movies, and I have 2 fields in Movies. title and date. I want to be able to put the exact field name as a variable in format, and define the variable in the format as part of the array (where argument 1 is the table, argument 2 is the format to display it, and every argument beyond that is a field name you want to use).... like...

function echoRepeat() {
	$argumentnumber = func_num_args();
	$argumentarray = func_get_args();
	$query = "SELECT * FROM $argumentarray[0]";
	$result = mysql_query($query);
	while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
		$field1 = $row["$argumentarray[2]"];
		print $argumentarray[1];
	}
}

So by putting:

echoRepeat("movies", "$field1 is the title of the movie<br />", "title");

It would display something like
The Matrix is the title of the movie
FMJ is the title of the movie

and so on for every movie. Except that would only work when it has one field. I could just put:

$field1 = $row["$argumentarray[2]"];
$field2 = $row["$argumentarray[3]"];
$field3 = $row["$argumentarray[4]"];
$field4 = $row["$argumentarray[5]"];
$field5 = $row["$argumentarray[6]"];

and so on 100 times, but that would make messy code and a limit of only however many times I define it. I want to make it check how many arguments there are (first and second are required, while the third and everything past it are fields), and dynamically use it. So if I have

echoRepeat("movies", "the $field1 came out on $field2<br />", "title", "date");

It will ultimately turn it into

$field1 = $row["$argumentarray[2]"];
$field2 = $row["$argumentarray[3]"];

and if I have

echoRepeat("movies", "the $field1 came out on $field2 . $field4 starred in it and $field3 direcred it. <br />", "title", "date", "director", "actor1");

It will ultimately turn it into

$field1 = $row["$argumentarray[2]"];
$field2 = $row["$argumentarray[3]"];
$field3 = $row["$argumentarray[5]"];
$field4 = $row["$argumentarray[6]"];

So it will make a new $field# (# = starts at 1 and increases by 1 (1,2,3) for every argument passed (starting at the third one), and it will do the same with the array definition after it..

Hope this was clear...

[laserlight]

Sounds like you want to implement some sort of sprintf().

Consider something along the lines of:

<?php
function echoRepeat() {
    $f_argc = func_num_args(); //number of arguments passed
    $f_argv = func_get_args(); //array of arguments passed
	if ($f_argc > 1) {
		$params = array();
		for ($i = 2; $i < $f_argc; $i++) {
			$params[] = '"' . $f_argv[$i] . '"';
		}
		eval('$ret = sprintf("' . $f_argv[1] . '",' . implode(',', $params) . ');');
		return $ret;
	} else {
		return false;
	}
}

echo echoRepeat("table", 'on %2\$s, the %1\$s came out', 'title', 'date');
?>

EDIT:
Actually, this is much simpler:

<?php
function echoRepeat() {
    $f_argc = func_num_args(); //number of arguments passed
    $f_argv = func_get_args(); //array of arguments passed
	if ($f_argc > 1) {
		return vsprintf($f_argv[1], array_slice($f_argv, 2));
	} else {
		return false;
	}
}

echo echoRepeat("table", 'on %2$s, the %1$s came out', 'title', 'date');
?>

[BuzFortuna]

function echoRepeat() {
    $f_argc = func_num_args(); //number of arguments passed
    $f_argv = func_get_args(); //array of arguments passed
    if ($f_argc > 1) {
        return vsprintf($f_argv[1], array_slice($f_argv, 2));
    } else {
        return false;
    }
}

echo echoRepeat("table", 'on %2$s, the %1$s came out', 'title', 'date');

Won't that just eho something like:
on date the title came out
?
I need to make it so those last arguments are selected from mysql fields... where the first argument is the table they're selected from...

Thanks 🙂

[laserlight]

I need to make it so those last arguments are selected from mysql fields... where the first argument is the table they're selected from...

Basically, if you can format a string the way I have done, then you can format an SQL query.

As you provided a static format string, I used it (though somewhat modified).
The trick is to use a dynamic format string.

Honestly though, this is why I think that you shouldnt bother with variable arguments lists here.
You should just take in user input, and directly generate your SQL query.

[BuzFortuna]

Pardon, but now I'm confused as to what you're talking about. :p

I'm making a functions.php file with actions I commonly use, and turning them into functions so I can use them whenever I want. Here's what I want to do WITHOUT a function:

$query = "SELECT * FROM news";
$result = mysql_query($query);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
	$id = $row['id'];
	$title = $row['title'];
	$author = $row['author'];

echo "$id";
echo "$title";
echo "$author";

}

What I'm trying to do is turn that action into a function I can use whenever I want with whatever fields or table I choose, just by calling the function.

Sorry if I haven't been clear. 🙂

(I am trying to make something like, first argument is the table, second argument is the format to print all of it, and every argument after that is another field that you can use as a variable.. in this case it would be "id", "title", "author")

[BuzFortuna]

I've tried 100 methods and none have worked. I've came damn close about 5 4 different ways but I just can't seem to get this working...

[laserlight]

You could try this:

function printSelectedRows() {
	$f_argc = func_num_args();
	$f_argv = func_get_args();
	//f_argv[0]: table name
	//f_argv[1]: format
	//f_argv[2..n]: columns
	if ($f_argc > 2) {
		$columns = implode(',', array_splice($f_argv, 2));
		$query = "SELECT $columns FROM {$f_argv[0]}";
		if ($result = mysql_query($query)) {
			while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
				vprintf($f_argv[1], $row);
			}
			return true;
		} else {
			return false;
		}
	} else {
		return false;
	}
}

//use it as:
printSelectedRows('news', "%s\n%s\n%s", 'id', 'title', 'author');

[BuzFortuna]

Thank you SO MUCH! I was pulling my hair out over this. I don't exactly get how or where the %s is coming from or how it came... but I'm gona start looking at the functions and stuff.

[laserlight]

I don't exactly get how or where the %s is coming from or how it came... but I'm gona start looking at the functions and stuff.

It is documented under [man]sprintf/man.