What is this function?

[Anon]

Hi,

I am still trying to figure this one out. A collegue of mine used this Function, and I modified it for myself, but exactly what does it do? It seems to be an error checking Function mostly, although it also tells specifies which feilds are to be read from the database. The only thing I can\'t figure out is, even if I call a variable that isn\'t specified in this function, eg, \'page_text04\', it still calls and displays it. So what does this function do?

Thanks,

---

function get_Page_Img_Details ($page) {

if (!($link=mysql_connect(DB_SERVER, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD))) {
	displayErrMsg(sprintf(\"error connecting to db %d:%s\\n\", mysql_errno(), mysql_error()));
	exit();
}
$page=addslashes($page);
if (!($result=mysql_db_query(DB, \"select pages_img.*, page_id, page_name, page_order, page_grouping, page_grouping_order, page_title, page_title_img, page_img_filename01, page_text_title01, page_text01, page_available from pages_img\"))) {
	displayErrMsg(sprintf(\"error doing select %d:%s\\n\", mysql_errno(), mysql_error())); 
	exit();
}

$row=mysql_fetch_array($result);

return $row;

} // End function get_Page_Img_Details

[[deleted]]

Uhm.. you're used it but you don't know what it does?

it is a very badly written function that connects to a database and runs query, and that will stop your script if it fails to connect or fails to run thw query. very bad indeed.

[Anon]

Hi, I know it sounds terrible, but my friends suggested that the best way to learn PHP was to get into it hands on, and thats what I have done (I am also reading a PHP / MySQL book, and reading these forums, as well as the online PHP manual). It probably sounds amateur, but I am just learning.

So, if this Function is simply an error Function, can I do without it when trying to read data from a database? Of course I need to access the database first, but once that is done, should I do away with error Functions of do you have another one you can suggest?

Thanks,

Yari

[[deleted]]

Rule#1: you cannot have enough error-checking.

The function is not just about error checking, it's primary function is to get data from a database. It just uses very bad error checking to make sure you either get the data, or your script is stopped.

As for your newbie-ness, have a look at this for an example on how get data from a databases the 'proper' way:
http://www.hvt-automation.nl/yapf/index.php?cmd=viewitem&itemid=12