Re: Why is variable not in scope?

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@iliffe.ca> 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 > } > } > > >