Hello Everyone, I am new to this or any news group. The end of this story is that I believe I am calling a function from within a function in a way that I should not be, but I cannot figure out exactly what part I am doing incorrectly. I have the following main file with other content included from outside files (summarized): <?php //main_file.php //the following defines functions to connect to the data base and submit queries require('databasefunctions.php'); / /the following defines a function that uses above database functions to build a dropdown list from database tables require('dropdownlistfunctions.php'); //some if/then statements //... //... //the following builds a form that is displayed. It uses a function from dropdownlistfunctions.php (above) to build a dropdown list. require('build_form.php'); ?> When I use the functions from databasefunctions.php directly in the main_file.php to connect to a database and run a query, the functions work successfully. However, when I use those functions from within a function defined inside the dropdownlistfunctions.php, I get an error "Undefined variable: [variable name]". The [variable name] is supposed to contain the mysql-link resource. Since it isn't there, I also get additional warnings that the mysql_query didn't receive a valid mysql-link resource. In the function to connect to and select the database, I make the mysql-link resource a global value. Inside the dropdownlistfunctions.php, when I simply write the statements directly in the function to connect to and select the database, and run the query, that works too. Is there a basic rule about including/requiring files, and using functions within functions that I am not abiding by? It feels as though I am just trying to do some particular thing that you can't do when working with functions that use other functions ... and maybe to do with including/requiring files as well. Any wisdom would be eagerly and gratefully consumed. Kindest regards, JH -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php