PHP and MySQL Web Development - P31: PHP and MySQL Web Development teaches the reader to develop dynamic, secure, commercial Web sites. Using the same accessible, popular teaching style of the first edition, this best-selling book has been updated to reflect the rapidly changing landscape of MySQL and PHP. | 5 Reusing Code and Writing Functions THIS CHAPTER EXPLAINS HOW REUSING CODE leads to more consistent reliable maintainable code with less effort. We will demonstrate techniques for modularizing and reusing code beginning with the simple use of require and include to use the same code on more than one page. We will explain why these are superior to server side includes. The example given will cover using include files to get a consistent look and feel across your site. We will explain how to write and call your own functions using page and form generation functions as examples. In this chapter we will cover Reusing code Using require and include Introducing functions Defining functions Parameters Returning values Call-by-Reference versus Call-by-Value Scope Recursion Why Reuse Code One of the goals of software engineers is to reuse code in lieu of writing new code. This is not because software engineers are a particularly lazy group. Reusing existing code reduces costs increases reliability and improves consistency. Ideally a new project is 118 Chapter 5 Reusing Code and Writing Functions created by combining existing reusable components with a minimum of development from scratch. Cost Over the useful life of a piece of software significantly more time will be spent maintaining modifying testing and documenting it than was originally spent writing it. If you are writing commercial code you should be attempting to limit the number of lines that are in use within the organization. One of the most practical ways to achieve this is to reuse code already in use rather than writing a slightly different version of the same code for a new task. Less code means lower costs. If software exists that meets the requirements of the new project acquire cost of buying existing software is almost always less than the cost of developing an equivalent product. Tread carefully though if there is existing software that almost meets your requirements. It can be more difficult to .
