As per example below, I would expect the ouput to be "test value", why do I get "0" instead?
File main.php
<?php
include_once 'functions.php';
$var = '0';
test();
echo $var;
?>
File functions.php
<?php
function test()
{
global $var;
$var = 'test value';
}
?>
Your best bet is to do:
include_once 'functions.php';
$_GLOBALS["var"] = '0';
test();
echo $_GLOBALS["var"];
and in the function using $_GLOBALS["var"] without making $_GLOBALS a global, it aleady is.
Your code works perfectly: http://codepad.org/zI9xg1sK
The only reason I can think of is that main.php is also being included from within a function, making $var a local variable in that function's scope.
In that case, this would help:
<?php
global $var;
include_once 'functions.php';
$var = '0';
test();
echo $var;
?>
Why don't you make it with
return $var;
and call function that way:
$var = test();
This is an alternative example. Ian commented on CappY's answer that the real function already returns a value. I assume that is why he thinks he needs a global valriable.
You don't need to (ab)use global variable to return multiple values from a function. Two alternative (and better) options are returning an array, or passing variables by reference.
Example on returning arrays:
function test() {
return array('value 1', 'value 2');
}
// Example usage
list($var1, $var2) = test();
var_dump($var1); // outputs "value 1"
var_dump($var2); // outputs "value 2"
example passing by reference
function test(&$var2) {
$var2 = 'value 2';
return 'value 1';
}
// Example usage
$var1 = test($var2);
var_dump($var1); // outputs "value 1"
var_dump($var2); // outputs "value 2"
