php return array from function returns NULL

Question

Still just learning PHP so sorry if this is stupid!! I have a function that loops through a mysql adjacency table. I would like to return this as an array. It seems fine, in that if when I return in the function I do print_r($path); where $path is the array inside the function, the array is printed as I want it.

The problem is I cannot see why I cannot access it via

$patharray = functioncalled($vars);

I have tried using return $path; and also just print_r in the array, but it keeps returning NULL.

function getParPath($mysqli, $showpar, $path) {
    // Get Parent Path
    $query ="select loc_id, loc_name, loc_parent from locations where loc_id = ? LIMIT 0,1";
    if ($stmt = mysqli_prepare($mysqli, $query)) {

        /* pass parameters to query */
        mysqli_stmt_bind_param($stmt, "s", $showpar);

        /* run the query on the database */
        mysqli_stmt_execute($stmt);

        /* store result */
        mysqli_stmt_store_result($stmt);

        /* assign variable for each column to store results in */
        mysqli_stmt_bind_result($stmt, $loc_id, $loc_name, $loc_parent);

        /* fetch values */
        while (mysqli_stmt_fetch($stmt)) {

            $path[] = $loc_name;

            if ($loc_parent !='0'){
                getParPath($mysqli, $loc_parent, $path);
            }
            if ($loc_parent =='0'){
                $path = array_reverse($path);
                return $path; // uncommented per answers below.
                //print_r($path); //commented out per answers below.
            }

        }
    }
}

$patharray = getParPath($mysqli, $showcld, $path);
//print_r(getParPath($mysqli, $showcld, $path)); // removed per answers below
var_dump($patharray); //removed echo per answers below
exit;

Which returns:

Array
(
    [0] => BuildingA
    [1] => FloorA
    [2] => RoomA
)
Array
(
    [0] => BuildingA
    [1] => FloorA
    [2] => RoomA
)
NULL

So as you can see from the last line there, the array $patharray I set to the function call is NULL. And that if I try to print_r inside the function, an array is printed, and if I try to print_r the function directly, it returns an array. But not into an object I can use.

Answer 1

You have to return $path; not just echo or print_r.

$path = array_reverse($path);
return $path;  //Uncomment this line
//print_r($path); //Comment out this line

Also you need to change this, you weren't setting $path equal to the results:

if ($loc_parent !='0'){
    $path = getParPath($mysqli, $loc_parent, $path);
}

Also get rid of the if test because it will keep running until it gets to the bottom then you need to return.

if ($loc_parent !='0'){
    $path = getParPath($mysqli, $loc_parent, $path);
}
$path = array_reverse($path);
return $path;