Need some help with simple function

Okay I have been skating around using my own functions in php for a year or two now and I figure it is probably time to grow up and start using functions...but I must still have a fundamental misunderstanding of how they work, because I cannot get this function - which I believe to be quite simple - to work. I assume I am just attacking it in the wrong way:

<?php

function ad_randomizer() {

if($result_random_auto<=50){

$ad= 'advertisement option one';

}
elseif($result_random_auto>=51){
$ad= 'advertisement option two';

}

}

// a bunch of code

ad_randomizer();

//-------------------------------------------

So when I call ad_randomizer nothing is happening. I understand that I need my function to "return" a value, but I have tried various incarnations of that and nothing worked either.

Any help appreciated.

 

<?php

$result_random_auto = rand(1, 100);

$ad = "default advertisement option";

function ad_randomizer()
{
    if($result_random_auto <= 50) {

        $ad = 'advertisement option one';

    } elseif($result_random_auto >= 51) {
    
        $ad = 'advertisement option two';

    }
}

/* Other code */

ad_randomizer();

echo $ad;

/* Other code */

?>

PHP:

Is this what you meant ?

 

yeah I forgot to include $result_random_auto = rand(1, 100); in my original post...but it has always been in my code.

 

Yeah, you should either return value or print it directly. For example:
<?php

function ad_randomizer() {

if($result_random_auto<=50){
$ad= 'advertisement option one';
}
elseif($result_random_auto>=51) {
$ad= 'advertisement option two';
}

return $ad;

}

$var = ad_randomizer();
echo $var;

------------------ or ------------------

function ad_randomizer() {

if($result_random_auto<=50){
echo 'advertisement option one';
}
elseif($result_random_auto>=51) {
echo 'advertisement option two';
}

return $ad;

}

ad_randomizer();

--------------------------------
But the best way to do this will be to store the ads in array, and then simply call $adsArray[array_rand($adsArray)]

 

Well, the $result_auto_randomizer is defined outside the function. You can either copy and paste that line inside the function, global the variable, or pass the variable when the function is called:
e.g.

$result_random_auto = rand(1, 100);

$ad = "default advertisement option";

function ad_randomizer($result_random_auto)
{
    if($result_random_auto <= 50) {

        $ad = 'advertisement option one';

    } elseif($result_random_auto >= 51) {
    
        $ad = 'advertisement option two';

    }
}
echo ad_randomizer($result_random_auto);

PHP:

 

there is random library is not found

 

function ad_randomizer(){

$result_random_auto=rand(1,100);

    if($result_random_auto<=50){

    $ad= 'advertisement option one';

    }   
   elseif($result_random_auto>=51){     

   $ad= 'advertisement option two';

    } 

print $ad;}

// a bunch of code

ad_randomizer();

PHP:

 

Excellent, really appreciate everyones help. I now have a working function and have written a few more as well

Insert...I like the way to do it with the array...Thats the thing about learning PHP...there are 500 different ways to do everything, so I always like to get the opinions of those with much more experience.

Thanks again.

 

Yeah, thanks... I just wanted to show you the easiest way