Function not using arguments values

Question

I'm trying to reuse a function, but it's not getting the arguments values:

function has_children($arg1, $arg2){
    echo $arg1.'<br>'.$arg2;
    $children = get_term_children( $arg1, 'area' );
    if(empty($children)){
        $term_children_slug = $arg2;
    }
}

One of the places where it is used

if (is_tax('area')){
    $term_slug = $queried_object->slug;
    $term_id = $queried_object->term_id;
    has_children($term_id, $term_slug);
}

The values are printed but not used inside the function.

What is $term_children_slug? It looks like a global, but you don't declare it as such in your function... — didierc
– didierc, Commented Feb 9, 2015 at 14:07
@VeeeneX You mean I can't use $term_children_slug outside has_children function? — marcelo2605
– marcelo2605, Commented Feb 9, 2015 at 14:16

VeeeneX · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-09 14:38:56Z

2

You can't access $term_children_slug, when it isn't declared as global in function scope.

function has_children($arg1, $arg2){
    /* Return type 1 */
    $term_children_slug = '';

    echo $arg1.'<br>'.$arg2; // args printed here
    $children = get_term_children( $arg1, 'area' ); // not used here?
    if(empty($children)){
        $term_children_slug = $arg2;
    }
    /* Return type 2-Remove Comments and return type 1
    return (isset($term_children_slug)) ? $term_children_slug : '';
    */

    /* Return type 1 */
    return $term_children_slug;
}
if (is_tax('area')){
    $term_slug = $queried_object->slug;
    $term_id = $queried_object->term_id;
    /* If you want to get result */
    $result = has_children($term_id, $term_slug);
}

For more details check didierc answer

edited Feb 9, 2015 at 14:38

answered Feb 9, 2015 at 14:18

VeeeneX

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3 Comments

didierc Over a year ago

Note that you only return something if $children is empty.

VeeeneX Over a year ago

@didierc What about now, restful :D

didierc Over a year ago

Well, that's good enough. If you want an advice, I would avoid returning values of different types (although it's common practice in PHP), because it makes it harder to reason upon, if for instance you need to pass the function around. That being said, I don't know the type of values expected by Op.

Jochen Schultz · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-09 14:08:12Z

0

You mean:

function has_children($arg1, $arg2){
    echo $arg1.'<br>'.$arg2; // args printed here
    $children = get_term_children( $arg1, 'area' ); // not used here?
    if(empty($children)){
        $term_children_slug = $arg2;
    }
}

How do you know they are not used in the function? What do you expect to happen?

answered Feb 9, 2015 at 14:08

Jochen Schultz

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2 Comments

marcelo2605 Over a year ago

I expect the function define the correct value to $term_children_slug variable, based on the condition.

user169600 Over a year ago

$term_children_slug is not in your scope. Either make it global in has_children() or make has_children() return a value and assign it to $term_children_slug.

didierc · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-09 14:43:04Z

0

Issue

As it stands, your function has no visible side effects: it calls a function whose purpose is unknown, and modify a variable which is not declared global or returned by the function.

Possible fixes

Import the global in the function scope:

function has_children($arg1, $arg2) {
  global $term_children_slug;
  echo $arg1.'<br>'.$arg2;
  $children = get_term_children( $arg1, 'area' );
  if(empty($children)){
    $term_children_slug = $arg2;
  }
}

Return the computed value:

function has_children($arg1, $arg2) {
  $term_children_slug = 'default values';
  echo $arg1.'<br>'.$arg2;
  $children = get_term_children( $arg1, 'area' );
  if(empty($children)){
    $term_children_slug = $arg2;
  }
  return $term_children_slug;
}

Don't forget to initialise the variable with a default value (could be a value from $children).

edited Feb 9, 2015 at 14:43

answered Feb 9, 2015 at 14:20

didierc

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1 Comment

didierc Over a year ago

True, but that's another problem. Not knowing the remaining of OP's code, I cannot know which fix will more likely fit his codebase.

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