PDO MSSQL error query on null - php

Question

I am trying to select rows from my database table, and I am getting an error stating that
Fatal error: Call to a member function query() on null in..
Our connection to the database shows successful. Below is my php code:
<?php
require_once("dbconn.php");
$db = getConnection();
$input_pid = "870104-07-5448";
$sql = "SELECT * FROM Pat WHERE PID ='$input_pid'";
$stmt = $db->query($sql);
$row = $stmt->fetchObject();
echo $row->PID;
echo $row->Name;
?>
This is the dbconn.php code:
function getConnection(){
try {
$hostname = "busctrlctr-pc";
$dbname = "DispenserSystem";
$username = "sa";
$password = "123456";
$db = new PDO ("sqlsrv:Server=$hostname;Database=$dbname", $username, $password);
echo 'We are succesful to connect the database !!'.'<br>'; // successful word
} catch (PDOException $e){
echo "connection failed problem is >> ". $e -> getMessage()."\n";
exit;
}
}
Can i know why I am getting this error. Thank you.

Answer 1

You never return $db in your funtion getConnection();
change the funtion to:
function getConnection(){
try {
$hostname = "busctrlctr-pc";
$dbname = "DispenserSystem";
$username = "sa";
$password = "123456";
$db = new PDO ("sqlsrv:Server=$hostname;Database=$dbname", $username, $password);
echo 'We are succesful to connect the database !!'.'<br>'; // successful word
return $db;
} catch (PDOException $e){
echo "connection failed problem is >> ". $e -> getMessage()."\n";
exit;
}
}