how to combine two functions and returning an array?

Question

hello i would like to shorten my code and would like to combine two functions that exactly do the same.

so i got this:

function a($a){
    global $db;
    $query = $db->query("SELECT col_a FROM table WHERE Field= '$a' ");
    $check = $query->fetch_assoc();
    $return_a = $check['col_a'];
    return ($return_a);
}
function b($a){
    global $db;
    $query = $db->query("SELECT col_b FROM table WHERE Field= '$a' ");
    $check = $query->fetch_assoc();
    $return_b = $check['col_b'];
    return ($return_b);
}

so i thought i could combine both into one:

function ab($a){
global $db;
$query = $db->query("SELECT col_a, col_b FROM table WHERE Field= '$a' ");
$check = $query->fetch_assoc();
$return_array = array( $check['col_a'], $check['col_b'] );
return ($return_array);
}

this does not seems to work. i tried reading out the array by using:

$db_data = ab($a);

echo $db_data['col_a'];
echo $db_data['col_b'];

so if there is someone who could tell what am i doing wrong i really would appreciate.

thanks alot.

Aamir Mahmood · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-22 11:58:48Z

1

if you do this (same as your code) you can access it like

function ab($a){
    global $db;
    $query = $db->query("SELECT col_a, col_b FROM table WHERE Field= '$a' ");
    $check = $query->fetch_assoc();
    $return_array = array( $check['col_a'], $check['col_b'] );
    return ($return_array);
}



$db_data = ab($a);

echo $db_data[0]; // will return 'col_a';
echo $db_data[1]; // will return 'col_b';

you should do this

function ab($a){
    global $db;
    $query = $db->query("SELECT col_a, col_b FROM table WHERE Field= '$a' ");
    $check = $query->fetch_assoc();
    //$return_array = array( $check['col_a'], $check['col_b'] );
    return ($check);
}

and when you need to fetch

$db_data = ab($a);

echo $db_data['col_1'];
echo $db_data['col_1'];

answered Feb 22, 2013 at 11:58

Aamir Mahmood

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Prasanth Bendra · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-22 11:57:27Z

1

Try this :

$db_data = ab($a);

echo $db_data[0];
echo $db_data[1];

answered Feb 22, 2013 at 11:57

Prasanth Bendra

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Edwin Alex · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-22 12:07:12Z

1

You're not creating a named array, so your result is indexed with $db_data[0] and $db_data[1]

Replace: $return_array = array( $check['col_a'], $check['col_b'] );

With: $return_array = array( 'col_a' => $check['col_a'], 'col_b' => $check['col_b'] );

Or even more simpler just return $check;

edited Feb 22, 2013 at 12:07

Edwin Alex

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answered Feb 22, 2013 at 11:56

YomY

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Comments

sanj · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-22 11:55:12Z

0

list($col_a, $col_b) = ab($a);
echo $col_a;
echo $col_b;

answered Feb 22, 2013 at 11:55

sanj

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