How do I use php file() to access an array and echo specific keys?

Question

I have a form tag which uses the GET method. I want to search an array in a php file. I want the value of specific keys to be echoed. I got the php code to run and access an array but the code for the array is on the same page, I did not use the file() function. When I do try to use the file() function to echo the input of the form, the page displays characters in the php code like quotes and =>. The whole array is echoed but not the specific values of the keys which I want. I am running windows 8.1 and using IIS as the web server. Here is my code which works without the file() function:

<?php
        //this is the function which takes in the GET request from the form name='cake'

        $cake = htmlspecialchars($_GET['cake']);
        $cake2 = strtoupper($cake);
        echo "<div id='cake'>$cake</div>";
        //use cake2 for the search process
        echo $cake2;
            $artists = array(
            'ED SHEERAN' => "<div class='Data'>This could display the search results</div>",
            'ELLIE GOULDING' => "<div class='Data'>This xxxxxxxxx result</div>" );
        foreach($artists as $key => $value) {
            if($cake2 == $key)
            echo $value;
        }
?>

The code above echos what I want. Preferably I would like to use a separate php file with the array above so here is my code for the file() attempt:

        $cake = htmlspecialchars($_GET['cake']);
        $cake2 = strtoupper($cake);
        echo "<div id='cake'>$cake</div>";
        //use cake2 for the search process
        echo $cake2;       
        $dataReq = file("phpData.php", FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES);
        #echo $dataReq;
        foreach($dataReq as $key => $value){
            if ($key == $cake2) 
            echo $value;
        }

Above when I submit anything into the form it is echoed but I can't quite get the phpData array to be searched like it is in the first example. If I remove the hashtag from 'echo $dataReq;' the web page returns 'Array',$artists, $keys, and $values. Here is what that phpData file looks like:

<?php
    $artists = array(
    'ED SHEERAN' => "<div class='Data'>This could display the search result</div>",
    'ELLIE GOULDING' => "<div class='Data'>This xxxxxxxxx result</div>" );
?>

My question would be how can I use the file() function to access the keys I want in its array and echo it?

-Thanks for reading this post :D

Can you tell what content you have in your phpData.php file? — Death-is-the-real-truth
– Death-is-the-real-truth, Commented Jun 9, 2015 at 18:24
The content of the phpData.php file is the last block of code above. — Nelson Canino
– Nelson Canino, Commented Jun 9, 2015 at 18:26

Jack · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-09 18:41:55Z

2

Instead of using "File", you should include phpData.php and then loop through the array of artists. Take a look at the difference between "file" and "include" and it'll be apparent why you need include:

http://php.net/manual/en/function.include.php

http://php.net/manual/en/function.file.php

Your code would look like this:

    $cake = htmlspecialchars($_GET['cake']);
    $cake2 = strtoupper($cake);
    echo "<div id='cake'>$cake</div>";
    //use cake2 for the search process
    echo $cake2;       
    include 'phpData.php';

    foreach($artists as $key => $value){
        if ($key == $cake2) 
        echo $value;
    }

answered Jun 9, 2015 at 18:41

Jack

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