php function as function parameter

Question

Consider the following function declaration for checking current language on a bilingual website:

function checkNewsLanguage(){
    $requiredURL = $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];
    $myLanguage = explode('?lang=',$requiredURL);
    if($myLanguage=='en')
        return false;
    else return true;
}

Then I get some XML objects in the required language using functions like:

function item1('checkNewsLanguage')
    if(checkNewsLanguage()){
        $urlD = "someurl1";
        $xmlD = simplexml_load_file(cacheFetch($urlD,'cachedfeed1.xml',3600));
        $itemD = '';
        if($xmlD === FALSE)
            {$itemD = '';}
        else
            {$itemD = $xmlD->channel->item;}
    }
    else {
        $urlD = "someurl2";
        $xmlD = simplexml_load_file(cacheFetch($urlD,'cachedfeed2.xml',3600));
        $itemD = '';
        if($xmlD === FALSE)
            {$itemD = '';}
        else
            {$itemD = $xmlD->channel->item;}
    }
    return $itemD;
    }
function item2('checkNewsLanguage')
//Analogic procedure

I get "Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING, expecting '&' or T_VARIABLE ". As you see the function calls in item1() and item2() are not correct. Any code help is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Your function arguments need to be a variable, not just a string (as the error suggests). Your functions should be defined like:

function item1($variableHere) and not function item2('string here').

As I look at your code again, it seems what you are trying to do is call a certain function based on the parameter of item1() and item2() (so if you pass item1(foo) you want to call the foo() function.

Try:

function item1($function)
{
    if ($function()) 
    { 
        ...
    }
}

and similar for item2(). This way you can call item1('checkNewsLanguage') and that is the function it will call inside of the body.

Answer 2

The problem is on line:

function item1('checkNewsLanguage')

You can't have 'checkNewsLanguage' in the paranthesis there. You need to have a variable that accepts the function argument.