Creating a function using cURL - returning cURL data then reusing?

Question

I want to create a function using cURL and the bit.ly API to shorten links.

My question is, how can I get the string of data returned by cURL and continue to use it throughout the function (as this doesn't seem to work, I'd assume due to the attempt to return $string and then use string in the rest of the function).

Here's what I have, which just displays a blank page:

function shorten_url($bit_login,$bit_api,$long_url) {
$ch = curl_init();

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "http://api.bitly.com/v3/shorten?login=".$bit_login."&apiKey=".$bit_api."&longUrl=".$long_url."&format=xml");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADER, 0);

curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

return $string;

$xml = simplexml_load_string($string);
$short_url = $xml->data[0]->url;
echo $short_url;
}

shorten_url($login,$apikey,"http://www.google.com");

I've also tried to return $short_url and echo it ouside of the function, after the function is run (below shorten_url()), which doesn't work either.

Where $string comes from on the "return"? try: $string = curl_exec($ch); — Book Of Zeus
– Book Of Zeus, Commented Sep 15, 2011 at 22:56
I thought the first return after cURL would be the fetched data, such as in - snipplr.com/view/4084. I'll try your suggestion now :). — Avicinnian
– Avicinnian, Commented Sep 15, 2011 at 23:05
Worked perfectly :), do you want to run that as an answer so I can accept it? — Avicinnian
– Avicinnian, Commented Sep 15, 2011 at 23:06

Book Of Zeus · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-15 23:35:21Z

5

The function will return NULL. You are missing the $string = curl_exec($ch);

edited Sep 15, 2011 at 23:35

answered Sep 15, 2011 at 23:15

Book Of Zeus

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