php - Simple function in dynamic table -

can tell me i'm doing wrong? learned how create function , display inside dynamic table - think. i've been tweaking it, changing variables, etc., can't work.

i inserted following script before while loop.

function get_stars2($latin) { $stars2 = '';  {   switch($latin) {      case 'aix sponsa':      case 'gavia immer':      return '<sup><span style="color: #f00;"><b>+</b></span></sup>';      break;      default:      return $stars2;     break;   }   } } 

$latin defined inside while loop, told doesn't matter; function can take care of outside while loop.

and here's how inserted function inside table:

<td>'.$row['symbol'].'</a>'.get_stars2($latin).$desigast.'</td> 

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note: commented it's bad form use functions display html, let me explain what's going on here. working on rather complex dynamic reference table - series of tables. 1 of files suffering code bloat, put series of php switches in separate file , included them, using require_once. how learned require_once nixes while loop; in other words, action can occur once. if change require_once require, entire file included once every row in table.

so asked alternatives, , told need use function, have limited experience with. there other alternatives, little on head. think either need learn how work functions or jazz database tables can handle annotation , footnotes in reference tables.

why of convoluted logic?

function get_stars2($latin) { if ($latin) return '^{<span style="color: #f00;"><b>+</b></span>}'; }

even better, wrap in

if ($latin) { foo(); } 

also, it's considered bad form have php functions return html.

also, code works. maybe you're not using echo command.