Dynamic Switch?

[Vouksh]

Well, I was wondering, is it possible to have a "dynamic" switch statement?
kinda like...

 <?php
$allowed = array('codedb', 'members', 'forums', 'content');
switch(strtolower($_GET['section']))
{
    foreach($allowed as $rd)
    {
        case $rd:
            include $rd.'.inc.php';
        break;
    }
}
?>  

(this doesn't work btw)
I guess there's always the possibility of writing it to the included file, but that' d be a pain in the butt, but it'd work, no?

Gimme your thoughts on this.

[unclekyky]

Just use an if statement inside the foreach.

[abdussamad]

Nice idea. Try this code:

<?php
$allowed = array('codedb', 'members', 'forums', 'content');
if(!empty($_GET['section']))
{
   $rd=strtolower($_GET['section']);

   if(in_array($rd,$allowed)) 
            include $rd.'.inc.php';
}
?>

Or if you prefer using a switch statement:

<?php
$allowed = array('codedb', 'members', 'forums', 'content');
if(!empty($_GET['section']))
{
    foreach($allowed as $rd)
    {
        switch(strtolower($_GET['section']))
         {  
            case $rd: include $rd.'.inc.php'; break;
         }  
    }
}
?>

[wGEric]

The first bit of code that bdussamad posted is the best way to do it. You shouldn't loop if you don't have to.

[Mau]

Honestly, this code is very ineffecient:

 <?php
$allowed = array('codedb', 'members', 'forums', 'content');
if(!empty($_GET['section']))
{
    foreach($allowed as $rd)
    {
        switch(strtolower($_GET['section']))
         {  
            case $rd: include $rd.'.inc.php'; break;
         }  
    }
}
?>  

The same thing is accomplished much better by using the first bit of code posted above.

[IntellEJent]

In_array() is very inefficient, as Mau said. A switch statement is unreasonable if there's only one case, so therefore, I'd much prefer an if statement for this problem, or an altogether different solution altogether. May I also note that this code is vulnerable to register_globals injection? Anyways, here's what I came up with that's dissimilar to any of the others, but sadly is still vulnerable to register_globals injection:

 <?php
$allowed = array('codedb', 'members', 'forums', 'content');
$iffed = false;
$get_section = strtolower($_GET['section']);
foreach($allowed as $rd)
{
    if($get_section = $rd)
    {
        $iffed = $rd;
        include $rd . ".inc.php";
    }
}
if($iffed === false)
{
    die( "You or your browser has inputted an invalid page!" );
}
?>  

[abdussamad]

Intellejent, Mau has in fact pointed out that the in_array() based code that I posted is the better solution. in_array() is a built in php function and is likely optimised by more experienced programmers than you or I (programmers that built the PHP language itself). Hence in_array() is the most efficient.

[Mau]

Additionally, Intellejent, your code just duplicates in_array()--except once it finds a match, it doesn't stop searching. Even if it did, in_array() would be a better choice because it's built in a lower programming level and should execute a tiny bit faster.