Maybe I'm just tired or just am simply confused, but I'm having a strange issue dealing with some require_once() calls and ob_start().
Basic Structure:
Top of Main.php:
require_once 'config.php'; // includes variable $A = "bar", and Function "foo"
function getPage(){
ob_start();
include 'some_file.php';
$html = ob_get_clean();
echo $html;
die();
}
getPage();
some_file.php
require_once 'config.php'; // includes same config file
var_dump($A); // NULL
foo(); // runs, returns correct value
Config.php
$A = 'bar';
function foo(){
return "FOO";
}
So, what is wrong here? I'm including a file while buffering output. The required file config.php holds a variable and function. When including some_file.php during the buffer, the variable $A is apparently NOT set/accessible. The function foo CAN execute.
The documentation says:
When a file is included, the code it contains inherits the variable scope of the line on which the include occurs. Any variables available at that line in the calling file will be available within the called file, from that point forward. However, all functions and classes defined in the included file have the global scope.
Your provided code does not illustrate the problem that you're describing. When I run it as-is, it correctly shows that the variable is defined.
That being said, the thing to remember is that what looks like a global variable in an included file actually ends up in the scope of the function that's calling it. So if the first time require_once() is called is from a function, the $A variable is scoped to the function - and disappears when the function returns, just like any other variable defined inside the function.
If you absolutely must define a global variable inside an included file (are you sure? really?), make sure you only include that file from the global scope - not from within a function. If you need to access the variable from within a function, include the file outside the function, and then use the global keyword to access the variable from within the function.