Call someone please tell me what the data in side the brackets after a function name is for.

ie :
function get_director()
....
....
get_director($movie_name)


What does the ($movie_name) bit do?

Thanks guys

It is a variable which is passed into the function.

Inside the function that variable can be used.

Om Prakash

So, if they brackets were empty, then that variable couldn't be used inside the function then?

If that is the case, why do you need:

global $movie_name;

I thought using the above global line allowed the function to use external variables, and allow variables created inside the function to be used outside the function!

Now I'm really confused.

Could you clear this one up for me.

Thanks a bunch !

A function has what is called arguments: Functioname(argument1, argument2, argument3). When you call the function those arguments(values) get store in variables which are the variables you see when the function is defined:
Function Functioname($argument1, $argument2, $argument3)
{
}
If you have no arguments there is no way you can pass values to a function except by using globals which from my experience in java(the don't have globals per se) should be used sparely.

Hope this helps.
CHristian

Ok, things are a little clearer now.
So:

On page 118 of the book there is a file called table 2. This file has a function that are written as follows:

function get_director()
{
global $movie_director;
.......
}

This function is called later on in the script by the following:

//get director's name from the people table
   get_director($movie_director)

Could someone please confirm that the following that I think happens is true:

The variable $movie_director is passed to the function when it is called. Therefore the function can now use this variable. If the $movie_director wasn't included within the brackets when the function was called, then the function could not use it, even though the function has the line "global $movie_director".

If this is the case, why do you need the "global $movie_director".

As well as the above question, am I right in saying that if the function read:
function get_director($anyname)
{
global $movie_director;
.......
}
then the $movie_director variable passed when the function was called, would now become known as $anyname ?

Sorry if this sounds a bit basic, but I'm a newbie who really wants to understand this bit before I move onto the next page.

Thanks guys

You are correct in how arguments work...
example:

function foo($b)
{
  // Some logic
}

// Call the function
$a = "bar";
foo($a);

... When using a variable as an argument, it's value becomes available inside the function as the name of the argument (value of $a is available inside the function as $b).

However, in the code example you are referencing, it looks just like a versioning/typo/error problem the code. You should be able to call the function without arguments: get_director();

Let me know if you've any more questions.

 Yeah... I'm surprised the tech editor didn't catch that one, aren't you?

BuzzLY
aka Michael K. Glass
Author, Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development

Yeah, we'll have to find that guy and go over to my, errr his house and beat him. :)

LOL

BuzzLY
aka Michael K. Glass
Author, Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development

Right, so you can call this particular function as:

get_director()

instead of

get_director($movie_name)

By doing this though, can the function still use the $movie_name variable?

Or is it because the function has "global $movie_name" that it can use it?