Question

I am breaking my head why the simplest thing is not working.

All I want is to access the variable declared in the included file.

I have file called connection.php in which I have a class called MySqlDatabase. In the bottom of the file I created the instance of the class and assiged it to variable called $database

// filename database.php begin

class MySqlDatabase(){

// code goes here

}

$database = new MySqlDatabase();

// filename database.php end

Now I included database.php in something.php and trying to access the $database variable like this

//something.php
require_once 'database.php';

function foo(){

global $database;

$sql = "some sql statement";
mysql_query($sql,$database->connection);
//and remainig code goes here...

}

When I run the something.php it is expected that the global variable $database should be available in the function foo() but it seems like the variable is null, I tested with is_object() function to check the object is available but it returning false.

For debugging purpose I added is_object() check in the database.php file and it is returning true.

Also I tried to access the global variable using other options like

$database =& $GLOBALS['database'];

But I still have no luck. I then printed the complete $GLOBALS array using print_r() function also but it doesnt have the $database variable, I also checked using get_defined_vars() but it also doesnt have the variable. But I am able to see them in the included file itself

I am breaking my head since two days to make this simple thing work but I compromised and copy pasting database connection code in all the files.

Answer 1

There are only 3 possible reasons

• $database defined not in the global scope
• database.php being included not as a file
• some typo invisible to reader