PHP - Using functions to write SQL Query

Question

Folks, I'm writing a query for a report and since it has a lot of parameters, I decided to write a few functions for it (suggestions are welcome).

In one of my where clauses, I wrote a function that will write the beginning of the clause, then write every item in my array and then close the clause below. This is the function:

function checkStatuses() {
    global $status;
    echo " tl.task_log_status in (";
    foreach ($status as $option) {
        echo "'$option', ";
    }
    echo "'60') AND";
}

Below is my query:

$sql = "SELECT co.company_name as EMPRESA,
    p.project_name as PROJETO,
    p.project_code as CODIGO,
    tk.task_name as TAREFA,
    concat(c.contact_first_name,' ',c.contact_last_name) as USUARIO,
    DATE_FORMAT(tl.task_log_date, '%d/%m/%Y') as DATA,
    tl.task_log_description as DESCRICAO,
    tl.task_log_hours as HORAS_REPORTADAS,
    tl.task_log_costcode as CODIGO_CUSTO
FROM dotp_task_log tl, dotp_companies co, dotp_tasks tk, dotp_projects p, dotp_users u, dotp_contacts c
WHERE tk.task_id = tl.task_log_task
AND 
    p.project_id = tk.task_project
AND 
    u.user_id = tl.task_log_creator
AND 
    c.contact_id = u.user_contact
AND 
    co.company_id = p.project_company
AND
    co.company_id = $company 
AND
    $project_code 
AND 
    $status_code 
    tl.task_log_date BETWEEN '$initial_date' AND '$end_date'
ORDER BY
    tl.task_log_date";

Right below this code I echoed $sql to see what's going on, and it shows like this:

tl.task_log_status in ('0', '1', '3', '2', '60') ANDSELECT co.company_name as EMPRESA,
        p.project_name as PROJETO,
        p.project_code as CODIGO,

As you can see, the where clause is being written before the rest of the $sql variable. Why's that? In my example, I declared variable $status_code = checkStatuses(); , but that didn't work. Neither calling the function directly, neither changing from single to double quote. The only way I got to show a part of the where clause in the right location was to replace echo in my function for a return, but I can't have multiple returns in there (the function will end execution and part of the clause will be missing). Any ideas?

Answer 1

It's happening because you're echoing stuff instead of returning it...

function checkStatuses() {
    global $status;
    $return = "";
    $return .= " tl.task_log_status in (";
    foreach ($status as $option) {
        $return .= "'$option', ";
    }
    $return .= "'60') AND";
    return $return;
}