Question

This is a rather complex problem so I will do my best to properly explain it.

I’m developing a HTML email template that will be uploaded into a flex-based web app, but I will try to use generic variables in my example.

Issue:
I have an image option where the a user can select from a library of images for their template. When the user selects the image there are 3 attributes that will load depending on the image selected, we will call them X, Y, Z. There are only six images available, and I have all of their URLs list as such:

$image_1 = '.../image1.jpg';
$image_2 = '.../image2.jpg';
$image_3 = '.../image3.jpg';

and so on w/ all the hardcoded urls being represented by a certain variable.

My code looks approximately like this:

//This is where the image will print after the selection is made and the page renders.

<img src="<?=$fields['mainImage']?>" /> //Pre-selection, and post image selection that <?=$fields['mainImage']?> will be the URL.

// This is where I try and add some logic directly below where the image loads. This if statement will actually trigger a variable to crawl a specific data array and print specific data that correlates to what image was selected (X, Y, Z, as stated above). But to not only keep it simple and check the functionality of the initial logic I am simply echoing three separate statements in this example.

<?
$fields['mainImage'] = $mainImage;

if ($mainImage = $image_1){

echo 'The first one works';

}
elseif ($mainImage = $image_2){

echo 'Yay the second data string loads!';

}
else 

echo 'O fart';

?>

Result:
In the above example, whether or not the user selects the 1st image or the 3rd image it loads ‘The first one works’ as if it can’t process any information beyond my initial if statement. Is there perhaps a syntax error I’m unaware of? Or maybe an error in my logic? This is a pretty basic example of a standard if statement, but I’m pretty stumped on why this isn’t functioning the way it should and would love some advice/feedback.

Answer 1

You’re using the assignment operator (=) when you actually want to be using the comparison operator, ==.

The assignment operator assigns the value of the operand on the right hand side of the argument to the variable on the left hand side. For example, you are doing this:

if ($mainImage = $image_1){ // do stuff }

This will copy the contents of $image_1 into $mainImage. $mainImage is then evaluated for truth – provided a suitable value (a non-zero integer, a not empty string or a TRUE boolean value) is provided, the first block will be entered. It is equivalent to writing if ($image_1).

What you actually want is this:

if ($mainImage == $image_1){ // do stuff }

This will test the equality of $mainImage and $image_1 correctly, as you are trying to do above.