Thank you.
The 'if' statement was a check on whether the cookie is set, and if it fails
an immediate exit occurs (because the user is not logged in). If the cookie is
set, then the database inquiry is immediately executed.
Possibly pg_fetch_array returned false but in that case I should not have
been able to do the print_r on the resulting array. I did that and it was
as expected.
I suspect there is an unreported type exception here but I tried a number of
things after the solution was provided and none of them have advanced
my understanding.
Since everything works now I'm not going to pursue it but I hate not
knowing!!
Thanks to all who responded; very good teamwork.
Regards,
John
================================
On Sun, 2019-07-28 at 09:16 -0600, LinuxManMikeC wrote:
> Well, based on the code you posted, I can think of two other things to check.
> These might have been causing it to fail when you were trying to pass the
> variable as an argument.
>
> You didn't show the actual if statement before the DB query. Maybe the query
> wasn't running, so $auth_array was never created.
>
> When you're interacting with the database, you should always check each pg_
> function's return value for failure. pg_fetch_array will return false when it
> fails. Maybe $auth_array was 'false'.
>
> On Sun, Jul 28, 2019 at 7:43 AM John <john.iliffe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Yes, I did do that. Was one of the things I tried when I was
> > attempting to debug it.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > John
> > ============================
> >
> > On Sat, 2019-07-27 at 22:35 -0600, LinuxManMikeC wrote:
> > > When you were trying to pass it as an argument, did you remember to
> > > declare it in the function's argument list?
> > >
> > > // You can name your argument variables whatever you like
> > > function nav_list($an_array_arg) {
> > > // Use $an_array_arg...
> > > }
> > >
> > > // Call the function with your array as an argument
> > > nav_list($auth_array);
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sat, Jul 27, 2019 at 10:20 PM John <john.iliffe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > > Bingo! That worked properly.
> > > >
> > > > Does lead to a suggestion: mention that in the Function Arguments
> > > > section of
> > > > the documentation!
> > > >
> > > > Also, for my curiosity (only) why would this not work when I passed
> > > > $auth_array or &$auth_array as an argument to the call? It should have
> > > > been in scope in the main programme so the value should have been
> > > > available, and certainly the address was for a pass-by-reference.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks to all the people who replied to my question, especially for how
> > > > quickly
> > > > you did so. Made my life MUCH easier!
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > John
> > > > ==============================
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, 2019-07-27 at 21:47 -0600, LinuxManMikeC wrote:
> > > > > Functions don't automatically have access to global variables. Use the
> > > > > 'global' keyword to declare what global variables you're going to use
> > > > > in your function.
> > > > >
> > > > > function nav_list() {
> > > > > global $auth_array;
> > > > > // Code...
> > > > > }
> > > > >
> > > > > https://www.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.scope.php
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 19:47 John <john.iliffe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > > > > There is probably another way to do this but I have spent a good few
> > > > > > hours
> > > > > > trying to resolve it and I think there is something wrong with the
> > > > > > way I
> > > > > > understand the scope of variables in PHP, so an answer would be
> > > > > > appreciated.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I have a PHP (7.1.3) programme that opens a database during
> > > > > > initialization,
> > > > > > gathers an associative array of variables (pg_fetch_array) and then
> > > > > > closes the
> > > > > > database. The array name is $auth_array. During actual display of
> > > > > > the page the
> > > > > > values of the elements of the array are used to control what is
> > > > > > (not) displayed
> > > > > > and lookup of the values is done using a separate function.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > At this point I can print_r() the array and it contains what I
> > > > > > expect.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > In the next line, I call a user-defined function nav_list() where
> > > > > > this array is
> > > > > > used in the form $auth_array['column name']. At this point I get a
> > > > > > PHP error
> > > > > > "Got error 'PHP message: PHP Notice: Undefined variable: auth_array
> > > > > > in
> > > > > > /httpd/myprogramme/yrarcex.php on line 74\nPHP message: PHP Notice:
> > > > > > Undefined
> > > > > > variable: auth_array .... . At this point I cannot print_r the
> > > > > > array, the same
> > > > > > undefined variable message appears.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I expected that auth_array would be in global scope.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > so I tried calling nav_list() with no arguments, then with the name
> > > > > > of the array
> > > > > > as the only argument, and with the address of the array
> > > > > > (&$auth_array) and also
> > > > > > with the explicit cast nav_list(array $auth_array) and I always get
> > > > > > the same
> > > > > > error message. (not a data type error as suggested in the docs).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So far as I can see I am following the online documentation at
> > > > > >
> > > > > > https://www.php.net/manual/en/functions.arguments.php
> > > > > >
> > > > > > exactly.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The definition of nav_list() is;
> > > > > >
> > > > > > function nav_list()
> > > > > > {
> > > > > > if ($auth_array['u_....'] == 't') <---- this is line 74 as shown
> > > > > > in the error
> > > > > > {
> > > > > > // display something
> > > > > > }
> > > > > > }
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
