Web Designs & Languages
PHP
Fouad Al Yarimi
PHP Functions
The real power of PHP comes
from its functions.
In PHP - there are more than
700 built-in functions available.
Create a PHP Function
A function is a block of code that can be
executed whenever we need it.
Creating PHP functions:
All functions start with the word "function()"
Name the function - It should be possible to
understand what the function does by its name.
The name can start with a letter or underscore
(not a number)
Add a "{" - The function code starts after the
opening curly brace
Insert the function code
Add a "}" - The function is finished by a closing
curly brace
Example
A simple function that writes my name when it is called:
<html>
<body>
<?php
function writeMyName()
{
echo "Kai Jim Refsnes";
}
writeMyName();
?>
</body>
</html>
Example
<?php
function examplefunction ()
{
print "Hi, I'm a Function <br>";
}
function sqr( $num )
{
$NumSqr = $num * $num;
return $NumSqr;
}
Print "Sample Line 1 <br>";
examplefunction();
Print "Sample Line 3 <br>";
$a = 9;
$b = sqr( $a );
Print $a . "^2 = " . $b;
?>
Use a PHP Function
Now we will use the function in a PHP script:
<html>
<body>
<?php
function writeMyName()
{
echo "Kai Jim Refsnes";
}
echo "Hello world!<br />";
echo "My name is ";
writeMyName();
echo ".<br />That's right, ";
writeMyName();
echo " is my name.";
?>
</body>
</html>
PHP Functions - Adding
parameters
Our first function (writeMyName()) is
a very simple function. It only writes
a static string.
To add more functionality to a
function, we can add parameters. A
parameter is just like a variable.
You may have noticed the
parentheses after the function name,
like: writeMyName(). The parameters
are specified inside the parentheses.
Example 1
The following example will write different first names, but
the same last name:
<html>
<body>
<?php
function writeMyName($fname)
{
echo $fname . " Refsnes.<br />";
}
echo "My name is ";
writeMyName("Kai Jim");
echo "My name is ";
writeMyName("Hege");
echo "My name is ";
writeMyName("Stale");
?>
</body>
</html>
Example2
The following function has two parameters:
<html>
<body>
<?php
function writeMyName($fname,$punctuation)
{
echo $fname . " Refsnes" . $punctuation . "<br
/>";
}
echo "My name is ";
writeMyName("Kai Jim",".");
echo "My name is ";
writeMyName("Hege","!");
echo "My name is ";
writeMyName("Stle","...");
?>
</body>
</html>
PHP Functions - Return
values
Functions can also be used to return values.
Example
<html>
<body>
<?php
function add($x,$y)
{
$total = $x + $y;
return $total;
}
echo "1 + 16 = " . add(1,16)
?>
</body>
</html>
More Function Writing
Functions can contain any of
the information we have
learned so far.
More Function Writing
<?php
function mul()
{
global $start;
print "<tr>";
for ($num=1; $num <= 10; $num++ )
{
$cell = $num * $start;
print "<td> " . $cell . " </td>";
}
print "</tr>";
}
$start = 0;
print "<table border=1 cellpadding=3>";
while ( $start <=10 )
{
mul();
$start++;
}
print "</table>";
?>
More Function Writing
One new thing you may have
noticed is "GLOBAL". Since the
variable $start is not defined
within the function, we use the
tag "GLOBAL" to let it know
that it needs to use the $start
variable that we have defined
outside of the function.
Functions already in
PHP
A function is something that
performs a specific task.
People write functions if they
plan on doing the same task
over and over again.
This allows you to only write
the code once and save a lot of
time and space.
Functions already in
PHP
All functions in PHP are
phrased as: name(argument).
The name being the name of
the function, and the argument
being the value(s) it is using.
some examples of
functions already in
<?php
PHP
$a = abs(-.43);
$b = sqrt(16);
$c = round(12.3);
print "The absolute value of -.43 is " .
$a . "<br>";
print "The square root of 16 is " . $b .
"<br>";
print "12.3 rounded is " . $c . " and
12.5 rounded is " . round(12.5);
?>
some examples of
functions already in
PHP
<?php
$b = time ();
print date("m/d/y",$b) . "<br>";
print date("D, F jS",$b) . "<br>";
print date("l, F jS Y",$b) . "<br>";
print date("g:i A",$b) . "<br>";
print date("r",$b) . "<br>";
print date("g:i:s A D, F jS Y",$b) .
"<br>";
?>