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Asked: 2026-05-21T16:08:17+00:00

My question is I am using the variable $db in my general script code

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My question is I am using the variable $db in my general script code and within one of my functions. It’s purpose is to be the variable that is used for MySQL connections. I have a need inside a function to write some data to the database. In my script I cannot assume that an existing db connection will be open so I open a new one and close it before the function exits. Ever since doing this I am getting an error after the script runs saying the MySQL reference is bad / doesn’t exist.

The only thing I can pin it to is in my core code I use the variable $db as the variable name for database connection. I also use the same variable in the function. I did not imagine this would be a problem because I do not use global in front of $db in the function. This should mean the $db I reference in my function is in the functions private scope but it seems to be closing the public $db’s connection.

Any thoughts?

Fragments of my code are:

database.php

db_connect()
{
 // open mysql db connection and return it;
}

db_close( &$db )
{
 // close the passed by reference db connection
}

api.php

api_verify( $keyid, $userid, $key )
{
  // open a new db connection
  $db = db_connect();

  // check for errors. if any errors are found note them in the db

  // close the db
  db_close($db);
}

main.php

include api.php;
include database.php;

// open a connection to the db
$db = db_connect();

// pull a list of things to process from the db and move through them one at a time
  // call api_verify() on each key before working through it's data.

db_close($db)
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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    I assume you are opening a connection to the same database with the same username/password at each of the places you call db_connect. When doing so,unless your db_connect explicitly specifies, that you are creating a new link, it will return an already opened link.If that link is then closed using db_close(), it will also close the other connection, since the link is the same. If you are using mysql_connect to connect to the database, it takes an argument called new link

    new_link
    If a second call is made to mysql_connect() with the same arguments, no new link will be established, but instead, the link identifier of the already opened link will be returned. The new_link parameter modifies this behavior and makes mysql_connect() always open a new link, even if mysql_connect() was called before with the same parameters. In SQL safe mode, this parameter is ignored.

    Refer to http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-connect.php

    I’m not sure if this is the issue you are facing. Hope it helps.

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