Multiple PHP scripts on AJAX url call

Question

I have no problem creating an AJAX call, but each url must at the moment be unique. I wish to contain multiple PHP functions within the same file, and specifically access one of the PHP functions with a particular AJAX call.

Using jQuery, at the moment I am passing the .data parameter with an integer specification, then using the $_GET method in the PHP file and running the proper function specified by the integer.

How can I do this better? I want to call a specific function amongst many in a PHP file; I do not want to have individual files for each function

You can call the same file multiple times. It just works. Even in parallel. — hakre
– hakre, Commented Aug 31, 2012 at 23:49

moonwave99 · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-31 23:38:14Z

1

I could tell you to go with the quick and dirty solution, i.e. passing a function param in the call, then:

switch($_GET['function'])
{

case 'show':    
    show();
    break;

case 'delete':
    delete();
    break;

case 'awesome':

    awesome();
    break;

}

But this is totally unmaintainable, because you will drown into a mess of includes, or even worse into a huge column of code you won't be able to reuse anywhere.

I advice you to get into routing, i.e. setting up a relationship between the URLs being pointed at, and functions being called, making use of parameters if needed [like in the second example below]:

/users              --> printAllUsers
/users/123          --> printUser($id)
/products/beers     --> printProducts($category)
/search             --> search()
...

This way you are decoupling the routing itself from the response generation: you can find a better overall explanation here, then you can find a very good an thin library here you can use in your projects without relying on a whole framework.

Ah, before getting in buzzword oceans with thing like OOP, MVC, RESTful service - which all deserve to be learned of course - stick with this first concept: it was the one I really missed when I began learning all this stuff, and it was the eureka for me.

answered Aug 31, 2012 at 23:38

moonwave99

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2 Comments

asgaines Over a year ago

I have a file of PHP functions already included, and I want to simply call one of these functions asynchronously when a certain event is triggered.

moonwave99 Over a year ago

@InfinitelyLoopy Go with the quick and dirty way then ^^

Mihai Iorga · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-31 23:25:58Z

1

You can assign each function an ID, send the AJAX GET based on one ID and call that function with switch

eg: Send GET = 1, or GET = 2

switch ((int)$_GET['id']) {
    case 1:
        processData();
        break;
    case 2:
        sendEmail();
        break;
    case 3:
        restoreBackup();
        break;
    // ........ and so on
}

answered Aug 31, 2012 at 23:25

Mihai Iorga

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2 Comments

Waleed Khan Over a year ago

It would probably be better to give them meaningful names, though. Fortunately, switch in PHP also allows for strings.

Waleed Khan Over a year ago

I meant the switch conditions — 1, 2, and 3.

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