concatenate string inside array value

fxpepper

Hello,

I am trying dynamically add a value into an array:

I have this:

$show = get_term_by( 'name', 'myshow', 'categories'); 
$show_id = $show->term_id; 

 'taxonomy' => 
	array (
	    0 => 'categories:'. $show_id,
       ),

it doesn't work like this. if I hard code this ($show_id = 60), it works. how would i make this concatenate correctly. I don't understand why it would work if hardcoded but not as done above.

thanks

fxpepper

bradgrafelman

Well the reason your code doesn't work should be obvious.. this:

 'taxonomy' =>  

    array ( 
        0 => 'categories:'. $show_id, 
       ),

isn't a valid PHP statement. I'm not sure what to suggest, because frankly I don't even understand what it is you're trying to do.

That bit of code looks like it could be part of an array definition... but there's no variable assignment being done, and it's not enclosed inside of array(). So.. what is it you're trying to do?

fxpepper

sorry i took a snippet b/c the function is about 100 lines of code...

so here's the whole function/array:

	register_field_group(array (
	  'id' => '500862fc37b7d',
	  'title' => 'Shows',
	  'fields' => 
	  array (
		0 => 
		array (
		  'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a559cf',
		  'label' => 'Show',
		  'name' => 'show',
		  'type' => 'repeater',
		  'instructions' => '',
		  'required' => '0',
		  'sub_fields' => 
		  array (
			0 => 
			array (
			  'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a57228',
			  'label' => 'Title',
			  'name' => 'title',
			  'type' => 'relationship',
			  'post_type' => 
			  array (
				0 => 'my_post_type',
			  ),
			'taxonomy' =>  

                              array ( 
                                 0 => 'categories:'. $show_id, 
                                ),
			  'max' => '1',
			  'order_no' => '0',
			),
			1 => 
			array (
			  'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a5bf89',
			  'label' => 'Times',
			  'name' => 'times',
			  'type' => 'repeater',
			  'sub_fields' => 
			  array (
				0 => 
				array (
				  'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a5c5bc',
				  'label' => 'time',
				  'name' => time',
				  'type' => 'time_picker',
				  'timepicker_show_date_format' => 'false',
				  'timepicker_date_format' => 'mm/dd/yy',
				  'timepicker_time_format' => 'h:mm TT',
				  'timepicker_show_week_number' => 'false',
				  'order_no' => '0',
				),
				1 => 
				array (
				  'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a5d95a',
				  'label' => 'fol',
				  'name' => 'fol',
				  'type' => 'true_false',
				  'message' => '',
				  'order_no' => '1',
				),
			  ),
			  'row_limit' => '',
			  'layout' => 'table',
			  'button_label' => 'Add Row',
			  'order_no' => '1',
			),
		  ),
		  'row_limit' => '',
		  'layout' => 'table',
		  'button_label' => 'Add Row',
		  'order_no' => '0',
		),
	  ),
	  'location' => 
	  array (
		'rules' => 
		array (
		  0 => 
		  array (
			'param' => 'post_type',
			'operator' => '==',
			'value' => 'date',
			'order_no' => '0',
		  ),
		  1 => 
		  array (
			'param' => 'post_type',
			'operator' => '==',
			'value' => 'ush_day_type',
			'order_no' => '1',
		  ),
		),
		'allorany' => 'any',
	  ),
	  'options' => 
	  array (
		'position' => 'normal',
		'layout' => 'default',
		'hide_on_screen' => 
		array (
		),
	  ),
	  'menu_order' => 0,
	));

So for some reason when i hardcode $show_id =1 it works but if involve this other function (the one mentioned initially-part of the wordpress api), it doesn't work. $show_id is empty so i didn't know if you guys knew why? i tested it on another page (with echo statement) and it shows 1 put i didn't know if had to do something special to it to make it work inside this function. ideally would like this function to be dynamic.

thanks so much

bradgrafelman

You'll have to show us some actual example (and/or the actual code). My guess is that you're either trying to use $show_id before you define it, or you aren't defining that variable within the same scope as where you're attempting to use it.

fxpepper

bradgrafelman;11010963 wrote:
You'll have to show us some actual example (and/or the actual code). My guess is that you're either trying to use $show_id before you define it, or you aren't defining that variable within the same scope as where you're attempting to use it.

this is all the code:

if ( ! function_exists( 'nye_custom_init' ) ){
	function nye_custom_init(){

$show = get_term_by( 'name', 'myshow', 'categories');  // this call is to db
$show_id = $show->term_id;  // $show_id is set to 1 in DB - but this doesn't work
//$show_id = 1 // this works

register_field_group(array (
      'id' => '500862fc37b7d',
      'title' => 'Shows',
      'fields' => 
      array (
        0 => 
        array (
          'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a559cf',
          'label' => 'Show',
          'name' => 'show',
          'type' => 'repeater',
          'instructions' => '',
          'required' => '0',
          'sub_fields' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a57228',
              'label' => 'Title',
              'name' => 'title',
              'type' => 'relationship',
              'post_type' => 
              array (
                0 => 'my_post_type',
              ),
            'taxonomy' =>  

                              array ( 
                                 0 => 'categories:'. $show_id, 
                                ),
              'max' => '1',
              'order_no' => '0',
            ),
            1 => 
            array (
              'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a5bf89',
              'label' => 'Times',
              'name' => 'times',
              'type' => 'repeater',
              'sub_fields' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a5c5bc',
                  'label' => 'time',
                  'name' => time',
                  'type' => 'time_picker',
                  'timepicker_show_date_format' => 'false',
                  'timepicker_date_format' => 'mm/dd/yy',
                  'timepicker_time_format' => 'h:mm TT',
                  'timepicker_show_week_number' => 'false',
                  'order_no' => '0',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'key' => 'field_4fe9f19a5d95a',
                  'label' => 'fol',
                  'name' => 'fol',
                  'type' => 'true_false',
                  'message' => '',
                  'order_no' => '1',
                ),
              ),
              'row_limit' => '',
              'layout' => 'table',
              'button_label' => 'Add Row',
              'order_no' => '1',
            ),
          ),
          'row_limit' => '',
          'layout' => 'table',
          'button_label' => 'Add Row',
          'order_no' => '0',
        ),
      ),
      'location' => 
      array (
        'rules' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'param' => 'post_type',
            'operator' => '==',
            'value' => 'date',
            'order_no' => '0',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'param' => 'post_type',
            'operator' => '==',
            'value' => 'ush_day_type',
            'order_no' => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'allorany' => 'any',
      ),
      'options' => 
      array (
        'position' => 'normal',
        'layout' => 'default',
        'hide_on_screen' => 
        array (
        ),
      ),
      'menu_order' => 0,
    )); 
}

like i noted above, the value is already set in the dB so it definitely is defined. Is it out of scope like this?? altho, when i hardcoded it worked...

bradgrafelman

"this call is to db" -- no it isn't, it's to a user-defined function called get_term_by(). What that function does exactly is anyone's guess, since you haven't shown us the code for it. How do you know that function succeeded and returned an object with a property named term_id that contains any useful data?

"$show_id is set to 1 in DB - but this doesn't work" -- two things wrong with that; $show_id is a PHP variable, thus it can't be "set" to anything in a DB since the two topics have nothing to do with each other. The fact that it "doesn't work" suggests that either a) the database doesn't contain "1" as you claim, or b) your user-defined function above wasn't able to successfully retrieve that data (which you might be able to discern based on what that function does/returns - but again, this is just a guess since we have no idea what the function does or doesn't do).

"this works" - that suggests that the problem has nothing to do with syntax (including variable scope) and everything to do with something going wrong with the get_term_by() function (i.e. it's not retrieving the expected data from the database).

fxpepper

bradgrafelman;11010973 wrote:
"this call is to db" -- no it isn't, it's to a user-defined function called get_term_by(). What that function does exactly is anyone's guess, since you haven't shown us the code for it. How do you know that function succeeded and returned an object with a property named term_id that contains any useful data?

"$show_id is set to 1 in DB - but this doesn't work" -- two things wrong with that; $show_id is a PHP variable, thus it can't be "set" to anything in a DB since the two topics have nothing to do with each other. The fact that it "doesn't work" suggests that either a) the database doesn't contain "1" as you claim, or b) your user-defined function above wasn't able to successfully retrieve that data (which you might be able to discern based on what that function does/returns - but again, this is just a guess since we have no idea what the function does or doesn't do).

"this works" - that suggests that the problem has nothing to do with syntax (including variable scope) and everything to do with something going wrong with the get_term_by() function (i.e. it's not retrieving the expected data from the database).

When i did a direct call (or however you say it) to the db using a select statement it worked : ) I was trying to use the wordpress api which should have done the same thing. For some reason, it doesn't work in this file. so yes, it was the user defined function / wordpress function that was the issue. I don't know understand why it's not working here but for now the select statement will do.

but i don't understand why you say $show_id can't be set (assigned) to a db value..? why is that? I am obviously still learning the correct terminology and technology so i am hoping you can explain this. isn't that what i am doing when I assign a php variable to a function that returns a value (say from a db) ?

thanks

Weedpacket

I notice that in the code you posted there is a syntax error about halfway down (you can see where the syntax highlighting changes). Is that error in the original code?

(Incidentally, there isn't a better method for doing what register_field_group() does? That big hairy array makes it look like someone's trying to reinvent XML.....)

fxpepper

Weedpacket;11010979 wrote:
I notice that in the code you posted there is a syntax error about halfway down (you can see where the syntax highlighting changes). Is that error in the original code?

(Incidentally, there isn't a better method for doing what register_field_group() does? That big hairy array makes it look like someone's trying to reinvent XML.....)

yes, I double checked and it's right in the original code but thanks for spotting that ; )

i know - it's a very long..lol..

bradgrafelman

fxpepper;11010975 wrote:
but i don't understand why you say $show_id can't be set (assigned) to a db value..?

In the long run, it can, but you acted as if that was a single/atomic operation or statement. It's definitely not. For example, you'd have to:

Establish a connection with the DBMS.
Authenticate with valid credentials (if necessary).
Select a database to use (if necessary).
Send a SQL query to be executed.
Retrieve the result set produced by that query.
Parse that result set (in whatever container/structure your DB driver uses, e.g. an object or an array) and extract the value you desire.

You showed us a call to some unknown user-defined function, and glossed over all of the above operations (leaving us to assume which one(s), if any, the function really does).

EDIT: And of course, the above list isn't even complete - there's a bunch of error handling to do in between several of the steps as well. For example, what happens if you can't connect to the server? Or the login credentials are invalid? Or the SQL query either contains a syntax error or simply fails to execute successfully? Or the result set is empty? What does the function do and/or return in any of those cases?

fxpepper

bradgrafelman;11010987 wrote:
In the long run, it can, but you acted as if that was a single/atomic operation or statement. It's definitely not. For example, you'd have to:

Establish a connection with the DBMS.

Authenticate with valid credentials (if necessary).

Select a database to use (if necessary).

Send a SQL query to be executed.

Retrieve the result set produced by that query.

Parse that result set (in whatever container/structure your DB driver uses, e.g. an object or an array) and extract the value you desire.

You showed us a call to some unknown user-defined function, and glossed over all of the above operations (leaving us to assume which one(s), if any, the function really does).

EDIT: And of course, the above list isn't even complete - there's a bunch of error handling to do in between several of the steps as well. For example, what happens if you can't connect to the server? Or the login credentials are invalid? Or the SQL query either contains a syntax error or simply fails to execute successfully? Or the result set is empty? What does the function do and/or return in any of those cases?

i see..
with wordpress i don't always need to do that with myself so sorry for not being clear. I appreciate your help and feedback.