Custom function

[bdl]

Hokay. Now I'm trying to return a value from a custom function, the modified date from the mysql database, formatted properly. This works perfectly if it's actually embedded into the script, doesnt work at all as a seperate included function.

PHP Code:

function getModDate($db_table) {
// modified date string
    global $mod_date;
    $mod_result = mysql_query("SELECT DATE_FORMAT(DATE_SUB(modified, INTERVAL 3 HOUR),
                '%c/%d/%y @ %r') FROM $db_table ORDER BY modified DESC LIMIT 1");
    $row = mysql_fetch_array($mod_result, MYSQL_NUM);
    $mod_date = $row['0'];
    return $mod_date;
} 


Since the value of $mod_date is changed into a string on the last line, why wouldn't it just return that value?

[sde]

is it just not returning anything? erorrs?

this may be a long shot, .. but you don't need single quotes around a parameter of an array if it is a number:

$mod_date = $row[0];

quotes might be forcing it to think '0' is a string in the results and not a number .. try taking those out.

just a thought.

[bdl]

I figured it out... I was relying solely on the 'return $mod_date' to return the value of the string, and forgot completely to put the variable in my other script, like so:

PHP Code:

$mod_date = getModDate($db_table); 


I was just calling the function, like 'getModDate($db_table)'. Doh!

Thanks, though!!
:o

[bdl]

BTW, here's the updated function, cleaned it up a bit..

PHP Code:

function getModDate($db_table) {
    /*
    modified date string - grabs the 'modified' column from the table
    and returns the last entry's modified date, in PST
    */
    
    $mod_result = mysql_query("SELECT DATE_FORMAT(DATE_SUB(modified,
                  INTERVAL 3 HOUR), '%c/%d/%y @ %r') FROM $db_table
                  ORDER BY modified DESC LIMIT 1");
    $row = mysql_fetch_array($mod_result, MYSQL_NUM);
    return $row[0];
    
}