[RESOLVED] One function works, one function doesn't-they're supposed to be identical

schwim

Hi there guys,

I found this nifty function via Google for gracefully shortening results, and I used it to shorten the body of a message, and it worked doozy. Thing is I also need it to shorten the title, but the title isn't being shortened like it should.

		$id = $row['id'];
		$postdate = $row['postdate'];
        $author = stripslashes ($row['author']);
        $authorweb = stripslashes ($row['authorweb']);
        $authorwebname = stripslashes ($row['authorwebname']);
        $title2 = stripslashes ($row['title']);
        $testtext1 = stripslashes ($row['testtext']);
        $testtext2 = strip_tags ($testtext1);

	function nicetrim ($s) {

	  $str_to_count = html_entity_decode($s);
	  if (strlen($str_to_count) <= $block_textcount) {
	   return $s;
	  }

	  $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $block_textcount);
	  $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $block_textcount - 3);
	  $s2 .= "... [More]";
	  return htmlentities($s2);
	}


	$testtext = nicetrim($testtext2);


	function nicetrim2 ($t) {

	  $str_to_count = html_entity_decode($t);
	  if (strlen($str_to_count2) <= $block_titlecount) {
	   return $t;
	  }

	  $t2 = substr($str_to_count2, 0, $block_titlecount);
	  $t2 = substr($str_to_count2, 0, $block_titlecount - 3);
	  $t2 .= "... [More]";
	  return htmlentities($t2);
	}

	$title = nicetrim2($title2);

I've echo'd $block_titlecount to make sure it's declared, and it is. I've changed the variables in the second instance of the function, just so I wouldn't get stopped for redeclaring a variable.

When this code runs, the title prints full length, no matter what I set the titlecount at.

Can anyone see why it wouldn't work?

thanks,
json

NogDog

Are you outputting $title or $title2?

schwim

I am attempting to output $title.

if($block_showtitle == 1) {
			echo("<tr>
						<td bgcolor='#ffffff' width=400>
						<font size=3><b>$title</b></font>
						</td>
					</tr>");
					}

thanks,
json

mjax

In nicetrim2() you are referring to a $str_to_count2 variable that doesn't exists. If you had error reporting E_ALL turned on (basic debugging) you should have seen this.

bradgrafelman

Looking at these functions one at a time...

        function nicetrim ($s) { 

      $str_to_count = html_entity_decode($s); 
      if (strlen($str_to_count) <= $block_textcount) { 
       return $s; 
      } 

      $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $block_textcount); 
      $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $block_textcount - 3); 
      $s2 .= "... [More]"; 
      return htmlentities($s2); 
    }

1. Where is $block_textcount ever defined? (It's not.)

        function nicetrim2 ($t) { 

      $str_to_count = html_entity_decode($t); 
      if (strlen($str_to_count2) <= $block_titlecount) { 
       return $t; 
      } 

      $t2 = substr($str_to_count2, 0, $block_titlecount); 
      $t2 = substr($str_to_count2, 0, $block_titlecount - 3); 
      $t2 .= "... [More]"; 
      return htmlentities($t2); 
    }

1. Where is $block_titlecount ever defined? (It's not.)

You never define $str_to_count2, though I believe this is a typo and that the $str_to_count variable declaration should actually have a 2 on the end of it.

Also, you should note that the following two functions:

function foo($foobar) {

$barbar = 'Hi ' . $foobar;

}

function bar($foobar) {

$barbar = 'Hi ' . $foobar;

}

have 0 variables being "redeclared" (which wouldn't cause any error or notice anyway). Why? Because of the scope of the variables - i.e. they're not in the global scope.

schwim

Hi there guys,

Here's the whole of the code. You'll see at the top where I pull the variables for textcount and titlecount. Even after changing $str_to_count2(thanks for pointing that out), it's still not working correctly.

include("config.php");

/*this query will get the needed information to create the block as you would like it*/
 $result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM config') or exit(mysql_error());
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {

$block_width = $row['block_width'];
$block_scroll = $row['block_scroll'];
$block_showtitle = $row['block_showtitle'];
$block_showdate = $row['block_showdate'];
$block_showauth = $row['block_showauth'];
$block_showauthweb = $row['block_showauthweb'];
$block_titlecount = $row['block_titlecount'];
$block_textcount = $row['block_textcount'];

}

/* this query will get a random testimonial result */

$query = "select * from testimonials WHERE active=1 ORDER BY rand() LIMIT 1";

$result = mysql_query ($query);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc ($result)) {
    /* display testimonials in a simple table */

	$id = $row['id'];
	$postdate = $row['postdate'];
    $author = stripslashes ($row['author']);
    $authorweb = stripslashes ($row['authorweb']);
    $authorwebname = stripslashes ($row['authorwebname']);
    $title2 = stripslashes ($row['title']);
    $testtext1 = stripslashes ($row['testtext']);
    $testtext2 = strip_tags ($testtext1);

	function nicetrim ($s) {

	  $str_to_count = html_entity_decode($s);
	  if (strlen($str_to_count) <= $block_textcount) {
	   return $s;
	  }

	  $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $block_textcount);
	  $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $block_textcount - 3);
	  $s2 .= "... [More]";
	  return htmlentities($s2);
	}


	$testtext = nicetrim($testtext2);


	function nicetrim2 ($t) {

	  $str_to_count2 = html_entity_decode($t);
	  if (strlen($str_to_count2) <= $block_titlecount) {
	   return $t;
	  }

	  $t2 = substr($str_to_count2, 0, $block_titlecount);
	  $t2 = substr($str_to_count2, 0, $block_titlecount - 3);
	  $t2 .= "... [More]";
	  return htmlentities($t2);
	}

	$title = nicetrim2($title2);

	/* display the data */
			echo("<div align=center>
			<table width=260 border=1 cellpadding=1 cellspacing=1>");
if($block_showtitle == 1) {
			echo("<tr>
						<td bgcolor='#ffffff' width=400>
						<font size=3><b>$title</b></font>
						</td>
					</tr>");
					}
			echo("	<tr>
						<td bgcolor='#ffffff'>
						<font size=2>$testtext</font><p>
						</td>
					</tr>");
if($block_showauth == 1) {
					echo("<tr>
						<td align='right'>
						<font size='1'>$author</font>
						</td>
					</tr>");
					}
if($authorweb != "") {

if($block_showauthweb == 1) {
				echo("<tr>
					<td align='right'>
					<font size='1'><a href='$authorweb' target='_blank'>$authorwebname</a></font>
					</td>
				</tr>");
				}
			}
			echo("</table>
			</div><br>
			<br>
	");
	}

?>

Turning on error reporting(thanks mjax) shows that block_textcount and block_titlecount are undefined. However, if I echo either one, it will give me the proper number.

I imagine it's something to do with the braces in the top defining of functions? Maybe the variables are only defined inside them?

thanks,
json

schwim

Well, I moved the closing brace to the end of the page, and it didn't seem to make a bit of difference, so I guess I was wrong about that.

thanks,
json

mjax

You are referring to a $block_titlecount variable that is not set in the function.

Please, this is so basic. If you would just turn on error_reporting E_ALL you would have spotted this hours ago.

schwim

     $result = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM config') or exit(mysql_error());
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {

$block_width = $row['block_width'];
$block_scroll = $row['block_scroll'];
$block_showtitle = $row['block_showtitle'];
$block_showdate = $row['block_showdate'];
$block_showauth = $row['block_showauth'];
$block_showauthweb = $row['block_showauthweb'];
$block_titlecount = $row['block_titlecount'];
$block_textcount = $row['block_textcount'];

}

Why doesn't that count?

And thank you for your patience and understanding. Error reporting is on, as I said in my previous post.

thanks,
json

Weedpacket

schwim wrote:
Why doesn't that count?

Because it's not in the function. Have a read up on the concept of "variable scope": http://us3.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.scope.php

Why doesn't that count?

At what level? Clearly not E_ALL, or you would have been notified of the problem.

schwim

Hi there mjax,

I put the following inside the function:

global $block_titlecount;

and it's working now. Is this the best way to declare inside a function, or is there a better way to do it?

thanks,
json

schwim

Thank you very much weedpacket.

That's what I just got done reading, and how I found out that I needed to define it inside the function. Is the code in my above post an acceptible way to do this, or is that a bogus method?

I have error reporting set to E_ALL, but when it stated that they weren't defined, I didn't yet understand that you could have it defined outside of a function but not inside.

Thanks very much for your time,
json

Weedpacket

schwim wrote:
Is this the best way to declare inside a function, or is there a better way to do it?

Certainly: if you're writing two functions that are "identical", then you're missing the point of writing functions, which is to avoid writing repetitive code. All you needed to do to the function was add a second parameter to the definition to specify the desired length ($block_textcount or $block_titlecount).

function nicetrim ($s, $length) {

      $str_to_count = html_entity_decode($s);
      if (strlen($str_to_count) <= $length) {
       return $s;
      }

      $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $length);
      $s2 = substr($str_to_count, 0, $length - 3);
      $s2 .= "... [More]";
      return htmlentities($s2);
    }

 $testtext = nicetrim($testtext2, $block_textcount);
 $title = nicetrim($title2, $block_titlecount);

schwim

weedpacket, thank you so much.

So with that, I don't need to define textcount and titlecount again, simply because it's not being used inside the function, right?

Thanks again for that, it works really well.

thanks,
json

bradgrafelman

schwim wrote:
I don't need to define textcount and titlecount again, simply because it's not being used inside the function, right?

Correct - it's being defined within the function's scope since it's one of the function's arguments.

Don't forget to mark this thread resolved (if it is).