ID: 18480
Updated by: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reported By: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Status: Open
Bug Type: Documentation problem
Operating System: all
PHP Version: 4.2.1
New Comment:
gosh, and how would the KeepVariables() function know to access the
*global* variables $a and $b if you didn't tell it to?
this is IMO just a matter of common sense, so please, stop this
thread.
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2002-07-23 10:27:56] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yes. I knew I had to declare the var as global is the function where I
wanted to use it. What was not clear for me was that I needed to
declare it as global in the two functions. If I take the functions from
the patch as example, declaring $a and $b as global in Sum() was
evident, but declaring them as global also in KeepVariables() was not
evident.
Of course, when you *know* it, it's clear, but when you don't know it,
and since the doc isn't IMHO clear about this, it's not evident at
all.
This patch should be more clear (hopefully):
Index: en/language/variables.xml
===================================================================
RCS file: /repository/phpdoc/en/language/variables.xml,v
retrieving revision 1.52
diff -u -r1.52 variables.xml
--- en/language/variables.xml 3 Jul 2002 22:51:23 -0000 1.52
+++ en/language/variables.xml 23 Jul 2002 14:26:36 -0000
@@ -375,8 +375,10 @@
The above script will output "3". By declaring
<varname>$a</varname> and <varname>$b</varname> global within the
function, all references to either variable will refer to the
- global version. There is no limit to the number of global
- variables that can be manipulated by a function.
+ global version. In the same way, if you want to access in a
function
+ to a var from another function, declare it as global in both
functions.
+ There is no limit to the number of global variables that can be
+ manipulated by a function.
</simpara>
<simpara>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2002-07-22 19:05:35] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I really don't understand why this point would have confused you. The
only variables you can access inside a function are the variables local
to that specific function. If you want to access a variable defined
outside of the function (ie. a global) you have to specify you want to
access that global variable. There is no way for a function to access
another function's locally scoped variables.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2002-07-22 19:00:11] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For me, the fact that it was needed to create a global variable in one
function to access to in another was not clear. Specially because it's
not the case for vars that are outside any function. I don't think it's
something evident.
My patch probably doesn't explain it well, I'll try to make one more
clear tomorrow (yup, it's damn too late here).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2002-07-22 18:54:14] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
That's not a different use though. You are simply creating a global
variable in one function and accessing it in another. I don't think
this patch clarifies anything. Perhaps the fact that you can create
global variables inside a function is not documented well enough, but a
much simpler documentation fix can take care of that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2002-07-22 18:47:58] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
One of the uses of "global $var;" seems not to be documented. Here's a
tiny patch to fix that.
--beginning--
Index: en/language/variables.xml
===================================================================
RCS file: /repository/phpdoc/en/language/variables.xml,v
retrieving revision 1.52
diff -u -u -r1.52 variables.xml
--- en/language/variables.xml 3 Jul 2002 22:51:23 -0000 1.52
+++ en/language/variables.xml 22 Jul 2002 22:34:16 -0000
@@ -380,6 +380,47 @@
</simpara>
<simpara>
+ Please note that if you want to access in your function to a
variable
+ which is in another function, all that through a global variable,
+ you'll need to declare it as a variable in the two functions.
+ An example, always with our function Sum():
+ </simpara>
+
+ <informalexample>
+ <programlisting role="php">
+<![CDATA[
+<?php
+
+function KeepVariables()
+{
+ global $a, $b;
+
+ $a = 1;
+ $b = 2;
+}
+
+function Sum()
+{
+ global $a, $b;
+
+ $b = $a + $b;
+}
+
+KeepVariables();
+Sum();
+echo $b;
+?>
+]]>
+ </programlisting>
+ </informalexample>
+
+ <simpara>
+ If we hadn't declared <varname>$a</varname> and
<varname>$b</vargame>
+ as globals in the KeepVariables() function, the script would have
+ displayed nothing.
+ </simpara>
+
+ <simpara>
A second way to access variables from the global scope is to use
the special PHP-defined <varname>$GLOBALS</varname> array. The
previous example can be rewritten as:
--end--
If it can be useful, I can also write a french version of it, since I'm
french.
HTH.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=18480&edit=1
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