Is there any way to shorten this code ?
<?= isset($email)?$email:''; ?>
I feel it's kind of stupid to repeat $email. I've tried
<?= isset($email)?:''; ?>
But it echoes the boolean coming from isset instead.
3 Answers
<?= isset($email)?$email:''; ?> // is the shortest way to do it.
1 Comment
Ian Lewis
If short tags is off then you must use <?php echo isset($email)?$email:'' ?> this is the version of the code that will always work.
You could write a custom function:
function safeEcho(&$var) {
if (isset($var))
return $var;
return null;
}
and call this function:
<?= safeEcho($var) ?>
4 Comments
Yang
This is wrong in two ways : 1) A function that returns a value should NOT be called
safeEcho. 2) This isn't as "safe" as you think - it will issue E_NOTICE if a $email isn't set
TheWolf
Edited (variable pass by reference) as per @Dave Just
TheWolf
@DaveJust you're right, at first, I had a wrong concept in mind when writing the function. Surely, there are better names possible.
Ian Lewis
@TheWolf Which version of PHP are you on? All variables are passed by reference since version 5.3.0 and use of & is deprecated. Removed from 5.4.0 onwards. php.net//manual/en/language.references.pass.php
The only way of "shorting" that, is a custom function.
function get(&$email) { // <- Note, there must be a reference!!!
return isset($email) ? $email : '';
}
<?= get($email); ?>
If you pass $email without a reference, then isset() will issue a E_NOTICE if a variable isn't set. This is because you pass to isset() a copy of undefined variable, not a variable itself.
5 Comments
Mehdi Karamosly
it depends on what php version you are talking, starting from some version everything is passed by reference.
Yang
@MehdiKaramosly citation needed
Mehdi Karamosly
php.net/manual/en/language.references.pass.php
Note: There is no reference sign on a function call - only on function definitions. Function definitions alone are enough to correctly pass the argument by reference. As of PHP 5.3.0, you will get a warning saying that "call-time pass-by-reference" is deprecated when you use & in foo(&$a);. And as of PHP 5.4.0, call-time pass-by-reference was removed, so using it will raise a fatal error.TheWolf
This is exactly what is happening here: Reference sign on function definition, no reference sign on function call.
Ian Lewis
You don't need the reference sign at all unless you are using PHP < 5.3.0 in which case you need to upgrade.
@$emailto say "this might not be set but I don't care."