PHP return value from class function not working

Question

I am having problem fetching return value returned by a class function in PHP. Does returning values works exactly the way it works in other languages- C, C++, Java or there is something new to it.

This is my Class:

class M_UserMaster
{

    private $_db = null;

    function __construct($db)
    {
        $this->_db = $db; 
    }


    function checkUserExists($mobNum)
    {
        $userExists = false;

        $sql = "SELECT STATEMENT HERE";

        $stmnt = $this->_db->prepare($sql);
        $stmnt->execute();

        $numRows = $stmnt->rowCount();

        echo '<br><br>Num Rows: ' . $numRows . '<br>***';

        $userExists = ($numRows > 0) ? true : false;

        return $userExists;
    }
}

The echo statement returns 0. But the function returns nothing.

From another file I am calling it like this:

$m_userMaster = new M_UserMaster($db);
$userExists = $m_userMaster->checkUserExists('0000000000');

echo '<br><br>User Exists: ' . $userExists;

This is what is printed

User Exists:

Martin Perry · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-21 06:42:11Z

1

If you do

$x = true;
echo $x;

You will get output 1

But with

$x = false;
echo $x;

You will get empty string as output

You will need to do something like this:

echo '<br><br>User Exists: ' . ($userExists ? 'yes' : 'no');

Or change return value of your function from true / false to 1 / 0. That will behave similar way, but output will be correct.

answered Feb 21, 2014 at 6:42

Martin Perry

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elixenide · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-21 06:39:58Z

1

You are trying to echo a literal boolean value. PHP prints such values as empty strings. You want to do something like this, instead:

echo '<br><br>User Exists: ' . ($userExists ? 'true' : 'false');

This will echo the first part no matter what. It then checks whether $userExists is true. If so, it prints true; otherwise, it prints false.

answered Feb 21, 2014 at 6:39

elixenide

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GautamD31 · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-21 06:50:39Z

1

Try like

$userExists = ($numRows > 0) ? 'true' : 'false';

As per your code,if the $numRows is greater than 0 then it will return 1 and if the $numRows is 0 then it will return empty because it become false.For clear understand

echo true;    // Return 1
echo false;   // Return empty

edited Feb 21, 2014 at 6:50

answered Feb 21, 2014 at 6:37

GautamD31

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1 Comment

tarun_tenniso Over a year ago

Goodness me that was funny coz all this time I used functions which returned true or false and not 'true' or 'false'. But they were not in classes- Does that make the difference

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