[Resolved] Multiple return values from function?

[leatherback]

Hi All,

I am a bit stuck, and have been wondering whether there is a solution...

How can I return multiple values from a function?

I now return(true) upon succes of the function (Validation script).

So I can use it like: if(authorised(...)) {do something}

However, I would like to pass also a message from the function.

Is this at all possible? I was thinking about making the variable which is returned from the script an array, which should work, but I would prefer to return two seperate variables, one is the script status (true / false/error) and one is the message.

Thanks for any ideas,

Jelle.

[edit:}
the script so far:

function is_authorized($section, $action, $userid, $pageid)  

  {
  global $pages_table, $manager_table;


  $allpages = mysql_query("select * from $pages_table 
                             left join $manager_table on Ma_p_nr = P_id 
                             where (P_owner = $userid) or
                                   (Ma_u_nr = $userid)") or die('The query had some mistakes in auth.q2: '.mysql_error());

  while($row = mysql_fetch_array($allpages))  // Create an array with pages this user is allowed to edit
    {
    $allowed[$row['Ma_p_nr']] = true;
    }

$editpagesections = array(                // Create an array with the basic edit page actions
                    1 => true,
                    2 => true,
                    4 => true,
                    6 => true,
                    );

  if($allowed[$pageid] and $editpagesections[$section])
    {
    return(true);
    }

  }

[halojoy]

Originally posted by leatherback
How can I return multiple values from a function?]

a function can only return one, but this one can be an array

we can use one array that contains several other variables, or arrays
and
this array can be extracted into separates using list

<?php
function returnmultiple() {
$a = 'aa';
$b = array ( 'name' => 'john', 'address' => 'new york' );
$c[0] = $a;
$c[1] = $b;
return $c;
} /////////////

$ret = returnmultiple();
list ( $d, $e ) = $ret;

echo $d. "<br>";
echo $e['name']. "<br>";
echo $e['address']. "<br>";
?>

[rebelo]

As the previous poster suggested, you can return an array from the function, which is all well and fine. I prefer to do it a different way which is a little more rudimentary.

Leave your script exactly as it is (I think...I didn't read the script, just the question). The string being returned will be treated as a TRUE response while the false will be obviously false.

If you are currently returning true on success and false (BOOL) on failure, then just change it to be like so:

function foo () {
    if ($something) {
       return "This is your message!";
    } else {
       return false;
    }
}

if (!$message = foo()) {
    echo "foo() returned false!";
} else {
    echo "foo() returned a message: $message";
}

[leatherback]

Hey guys,

thx for the responses. It confirmed what I knew to be not possible, and against better knowledge, wanted anyway.

thx,

J.