returning an array from a function

[Chris]

I am clearly missing something simple here....

I have a function (fileTree) that recursively reads all the files in a
directory passed to it, and returns an array of the files, I have included
the code for this function below.

When I call this function, the bit of debug code at the end will correctly
print the array of files I am expecting, and then returns.

However, what is returned form the function isnt the array, is a scalar that
just contains the value of the last element in the
array

I am calling the function like this :

$BrokenArray = array();
$BrokenArray = $this->fileTree($this->ProjectRoot,".c");

foreach (($this->fileTree($this->ProjectRoot,".c")) as $wibble)
{
print "Broken Array : $wibble <br>\n";
}
So it seems that the array in the function contains the right data, and by
doing "$BrokenArray = array();" i suspect I am making sure the varible it is
being assinged to isnt a scalar, so the only thing I can think of of is that
I need to do something fancy with the "return" statement so it knows it's a
array, but so far I have not not found anything that would help...

Cheers

Chris

function fileTree($directory,$ext)
{

$dir_array = array();
$file_array = array();

// what is the length of the extension
$ExtLen = strlen($ext);

if ($handle = opendir($directory))
{
while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle)))
{
if ($file != "." && $file != "..")
{
// this is a directory, so recurse down it
if (is_dir($directory. "/" . $file))
{
$dir_array = array_merge($dir_array, $this->fileTree($directory.
"/" . $file,$ext));
$file = $directory . "/" . $file;
$dir_array[] = preg_replace("/\/\//si", "/", $file);
}

// this is a file, test it, and add it to list if need be
else
{

$file = $directory . "/" . $file;

// overall length of the $file string
$FileLen = strlen ($file);

// now match the last N chars with the extension
if ((substr ($file,($FileLen-$ExtLen),($FileLen))) == $ext)
{
$this->fileArray = array_merge($this->fileArray,$file);
$file_array = array_merge($file_array,$file);
}

}
}
}

closedir($handle);
}

// print out the array of files, to prove it is getting all the files
foreach ($file_array as $wibble)
{
print "Wibble : $wibble <br>\n";
}

return ($file_array);
}

[tim]

Chris wrote:

Hi

I have a function (fileTree) that recursively reads all the files in a
directory passed to it, and returns an array of the files, I have included
the code for this function below. if (is_dir($directory. "/" . $file))
{
$dir_array = array_merge($dir_array, $this->fileTree($directory.
"/" . $file,$ext));
$file = $directory . "/" . $file;
$dir_array[] = preg_replace("/\/\//si", "/", $file);
}
In the above code, the files found in the subdirectories aren't being
added to $file_array.

When I call this function, the bit of debug code at the end will correctly
print the array of files I am expecting, and then returns.
Try print "In new dir<br>" and just before the foreach loop to see what
I mean, its finding each file but its not passing what it found to the
calling function.
foreach ($file_array as $wibble)
{
print "Wibble : $wibble <br>\n";
}

return ($file_array);
}

Hope that helps,

Tim

[Tim Roberts]

"Chris" <Ch***@dustbubble.nospam.com> wrote:

I am clearly missing something simple here....
...
I am calling the function like this :

$BrokenArray = array();
$BrokenArray = $this->fileTree($this->ProjectRoot,".c");
Do you understand that the first statement is useless? This creates an
empty array, assigns it to $BrokenArray, and then promptly deletes it, to
be replaced by whatever fileTree returns.
foreach (($this->fileTree($this->ProjectRoot,".c")) as $wibble)
{
print "Broken Array : $wibble <br>\n";
}
So it seems that the array in the function contains the right data, and by
doing "$BrokenArray = array();" i suspect I am making sure the varible it is
being assinged to isnt a scalar,

No. You can't change what fileTree returns. If it returns an array,
$BrokenArray will be an array. If it returns a scalar, $BrokenArray will
be a scalar. $this->fileTree has absolutely no clue that $BrokenArray
exists. If fileTree is supposed to return an array, then it must construct
an array and return it.

The other Tim gave you the rest of the hints you need to make this work.
--
- Tim Roberts, ti**@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

[Iván Sánchez Ortega]

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Hash: SHA1

Chris wrote:

I am calling the function like this :

$BrokenArray = array();
$BrokenArray = $this->fileTree($this->ProjectRoot,".c");

foreach (($this->fileTree($this->ProjectRoot,".c")) as $wibble)
{
print "Broken Array : $wibble <br>\n";
}

Debug that by using var_dump or print_r :

$BrokenArray = array();
$BrokenArray = $this->fileTree($this->ProjectRoot,".c");
var_dump($BrokenArray);
By the way, remember that PHP is a dinammically-typed language: $BrokenArray
is an array at first, but if you assign it a value of other type (an
integer, for example), it becomes that type.

- --
- ----------------------------------
Iván Sánchez Ortega -i-punto-sanchez--arroba-mirame-punto-net

There may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and
world public opinion.
-- Patrick Tyler
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