“call to undefined function” error when calling class method

Question

this is the error Fatal error: Call to undefined function assign(
this is the code, as you can see i obviously have defined the function so why is it not working

class shades {
    function create($name, $shades, $slug, $shortDesc, $longDesc, $position){
        $name = sanitize_paranoid_string($name);
        $slug = slug($name);
        $shortDesc = sanitize_sql_string($shortDesc);
        $longDesc = sanitize_sql_string($longDesc);
        $query = mysql_query("INSERT INTO products (type, name, slug, shortDesc, htmlDesc, position)VALUES('shades','$name','$slug','$shortDesc','$longDesc','$position')")or die(mysql_error());  
        $ID = mysql_insert_id();
        assign($shades, $ID);
        if($query) {return true;}
        else {return false;};
    }
    function delassign($toID){
        mysql_query("DELETE FROM assign WHERE type='shades' AND toID='$toID'")or die(mysql_error());    
    }
    function assign($shades, $toID)
    {
        foreach($shades as $shade)
        {
            $result = mysql_query("INSERT INTO assign(type, typeID, toID)VALUES('shades','$shade','$toID')")or die(mysql_error());
            if($result){echo "Added!";}
            else{echo"Not Added!";}
        };  
    }
}

Answer 1

You dont have a function named assign() , but a method with this name. PHP is not Java and in PHP you have to make clear, if you want to call a function

assign()

or a method

$object->assign()

In your case the call to the function resides inside another method. $this always refers to the object, in which a method exists, itself.

$this->assign()

Answer 2

you need to call the function like this

$this->assign()

instead of just assign()

Answer 3

Mates,

I stumbled upon this error today while testing a simple script. I am not using "class" function though so it take it with grain of salt. I was calling function before its definition & declaration ...something like this

      try{
             foo();
         }
       catch (exception $e)
           {
            echo "$e->getMessage()";
           }

       function foo(){
                       echo "blah blah blah";
                     }

so php was throwing me error "call to undefined function ".

This kinda seem classic programming error but may help someone in need of clue.

Answer 4

Another silly mistake you can do is copy recursive function from non class environment to class and don`t change inner self calls to $this->method_name()

i`m writing this because couldn`t understand why i got this error and this thread is first in google when you search for this error.