PHP: Passing Variables from an include file

Question

I have a script where I'm trying to assign an Array values from an include file (because these same variables will be used in several scripts).

It seems to almost work, but when I try to print the variables, I get a different result:

script.php:

   <?php
    include("test_includes.inc.php");

     $these_numbers = $numbers;
     echo " <pre> print_r($these_numbers)   var_dump($these_numbers)
     </pre>           
     $these_numbers[0]<br>$these_numbers[1]";
    ?>

and test_includes.inc.php

   <?php
   $numbers = ARRAY('one','two');
   ?>

The result:

   print_r(Array)

   var_dump(Array)

   one
   two

I guess I don't understand why the print_r() and var_dump() aren't working and if this is the cause of my problems in my real script (where I do a foreach over each element in the array and run a sql query using it).

Thanks, Tev

Uuughhhhh. Sorry - I can't believe I missed the quotes!!! Thanks everyone! — Tev
– Tev, Commented Jan 4, 2012 at 16:00

PeeHaa · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-20 09:43:17Z

2

PHP doesn't execute function which are in double quotes. It DOES parse variables though (hence the ARRAY).

So:

$test = 'something';

echo "$test"; // outputs something

echo "strtoupper($test)"; // outputs strtoupper(something) instead of SOMETHING

In you specific case you can do:

<?php
include("test_includes.inc.php");

$these_numbers = $numbers; // not really needed, but hard to tell without seeing your complete code
echo "<pre>";var_dump($these_numbers);echo "</pre>";

edited Aug 20, 2012 at 9:43

answered Jan 4, 2012 at 15:55

PeeHaa

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3 Comments

nalply Over a year ago

I am wondering, doesn't var_dump() write directly to the output (like echo does)? Then you should do echo " <pre>"; var_dump($these_numbers); echo "</pre>";, shouldn't you?

nalply Over a year ago

And perhaps htmlentities()as well?

PeeHaa Over a year ago

@nalply 1. You are right. Thanks - fixed 2. What does htmlentities() add. If anything it should be htmlspecialchars().

Jonathan Rich · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-04 15:54:16Z

1

PHP doesn't interpolate function calls - it's literally outputting print_r(, then $numbers, then )

What you want to do is this:

echo " <pre> " .
     print_r($these_numbers) .  
     var_dump($these_numbers) .
     "</pre>" .        
     "$these_numbers[0]<br>$these_numbers[1]";

answered Jan 4, 2012 at 15:54

Jonathan Rich

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Comments

Naftali · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-04 15:52:48Z

0

Thats because thouse functions don't work in quotes:

echo "<pre>".
     print_r($these_numbers) .
     var_dump($these_numbers) .
     "</pre>" .           
     "$these_numbers[0]<br>$these_numbers[1]";

answered Jan 4, 2012 at 15:52

Naftali

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