Static Arrays in php Not working

ElementNine · 03-03-2004, 11:04 PM

im trying to create a static array in a function that checks to see if the card has already been played this turn. So i have class and a method which generates a random number from 0 to 19 and then calls another method that tests that number against an array. The array starts blank but each time a number is checked if its not found in the array it gets pushed onto the array. But even though i have the array set as static it gets reset everytime i call the function can someone tell me if the code is wrong or what would you recommend for storing and checking numbers so that they dont get used more then once

Code:

<?php
//Function gets passed a number and checks if it exists in an array and returns true or false
function check_num($new_num){
			
			static $used_nums = array();//Static array for storing numbers
			
			//this is a print test, prints out the full array each time the array is checked
			while(list($key, $val) = each($used_nums))
			{
				echo $val;
				echo " ";
			}
			echo "<br>";
			
			//Check array to see if number is already present
			while(list($key, $val) = each($used_nums))
			{
				if($new_num == $val)
				{
					//if number is found return true
					return true;
				}
			}
			
			//if reached here then number isnt in array so add it
			$used_nums = array_push($used_nums, $new_num);
			//and return false to let caller know it didnt exist already
			return false;			
}
?>

j-ray · 03-04-2004, 08:53 AM

if u call the script more than once u better store the array in a $_SESSION['var']
see documentation on session_functions

sth like
<?php
session_start();
if (! is_array($_SESSION['cards'])) $_SESSION['cards'] = array();
?>
might solve the problem
or am i getting u wrong

elitecodex · 03-04-2004, 12:04 PM

j-ray is right in my opinion.

If memory serves me right, the static will only apply to each call of the function in that specific request. Once the script is done and the HTML rendered, when it is called again... its another request.

You can either use the session variables or hide the numbers used in an INPUT tag in the HTML (hidden of couse). Either way, that looks to me the only thing I can think of.

ElementNine · 03-04-2004, 03:44 PM

its more like a card game its generating sets of 5 random numbers depending on how many hands i want it to show so i have a class for creating the hand. one method generates a random number checks it against the other numbers generated that turn(the function i showed in the first post) if its unique it adds it to the array of used numbers(the one that i need to be static) then returns true or false if it returns false then the calling function(random number function) adds that number to the persons hand and loops to generate another number and does the same process. The use would be like this

Code:

myhand = new handofcards();
anotherhand = new handofcards();

so that would generate two hand objects each with five unique numbers i have other methods to display and compare but im not having a problem with those. But technically it could be used to generate any amount of hands as long as there are enough cards(right now its just limited to two or three to avoid running out of cards)

elitecodex · 03-05-2004, 10:29 AM

hmmm...

Im looking at your code again and might have the solution.

Everytime you call the function, you are declaring a static variable and setting it to an empty array. So it is infact static, but its being emptied by a "new" array each time.

Try something like this

Code:

<?php

function myfunc($num)
{
    static $myarray;

    if ( is_null($myarray) )
        $my_array = new array();

    // ..... Rest of code
}

Something along those lines should do it... I didnt catch that on the first post. This way, the array is only null when you define it (with the static keyword) and when you add values to it, is_null will return false and it wont be re-declared; thus wont be set to an empty array.

Sounds like I repeated myself there a few times, but you get the idea

Hope this helps!

Will