Question

If I have three files “index.php” “file.php” and “fns.php“

First example (it works):

index.php :

<?php
  $var = "Variable Data";
  include "file.php";
?>

file.php:

<?php
  var_dump($var);  #Output will be : string(13) "Variable Data"
?>

Second Example (it don’t work) :

index.php :

<?php
  include "fns.php";
  $var = "Variable Data";
  load("file.php");
?>

fns.php :

<?php
  function load($file) { include $file; }
?>

file.php

<?php
  var_dump($var); #Output will be : NULL
?>

How to include files using functions like load() and keep variables working without additional Global $var; ?

My Solution :

<?php
  function load($file)
  {
    $argc = func_num_args();
    if($argc>1) for($i=1;$i<$argc;$i++) global ${func_get_arg($i)};

    include $file;
  } 

  #Call :
  load("file.php", "var");
?>

Answer 1

Because you include the file inside of the function, the included file’s scope is that function’s scope.

In order to include additional variables, inject them into the function.

function load($file, $var) { include $file; }

This way, $var will be available.

---

You could even make things more dynamic:

function load($file, $args) { extract($args); include($file); }

And use it like this:

load("path/to/file.php", array("var"=>$var, "otherVar"=>$otherVar));

PHP will extract the variables into correct symbol names ($var, $otherVar).