PHP include/require within a function

Question

Is it possible to have return statements inside an included file that is inside a function in PHP?

I am looking to do this as I have lots of functions in separate files and they all have a large chunk of shared code at the top.

As in
function sync() {
  include_once file.php;
  echo "Test";
}

file.php:

...
return "Something";

At the moment the return something appears to break out of the include_once and not the sync function, is it possible for the included file's return to break out?

Sorry for the slightly odly worked question, hope I made it make sense.

Thanks,

Answer 1

You can return data from included file into calling file via return statement.

include.php

return array("code" => "007", "name => "James Bond");

file.php

$result = include_once "include.php";
var_dump("result);

But you cannot call return $something; and have it as return statement within calling script. return works only within current scope.

EDIT:

I am looking to do this as I have lots of functions in separate files and they all have a large chunk of shared code at the top.

In this case why don't you put this "shared code" into separate functions instead -- that will do the job nicely as one of the purposes of having functions is to reuse your code in different places without writing it again.

Answer 2

return will not work, but you can use the output buffer if you are trying to echo some stuff in your include file and return it somewhere else;

function sync() {
  ob_start();
  include "file.php";
  $output = ob_get_clean();
// now what ever you echoed in the file.php is inside the output variable
  return $output;
}