codeigniter using function inside a controller - php

Question

For some reason I cant run the change() function and everything after it stops. I try with $this->change() but the effect is the same. If I run the function in a php file its working and the num is changing.
class Test extends CI_Controller {
function __construct(){
parent::__construct();
}
public function home(){
$num = 1;
change($num);
function change($num,$rand=false){
echo 'inside function'; // this is not shown
if($num < 4) {
$rand = rand(1,9);
$num = $num.$rand;
change($num,$rand);
} else {
echo $num;
}
}
echo 'done'; // this is not shown
}
}

Answer 1

You will probably be better off calling a private or public function to process data ( or for more complex/involved processes a library ).
ie
class Test extends CI_Controller
{
public function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
}
public function home()
{
$num = 1;
echo $this->_change($num);
echo 'done'; // this is not shown
}
// private or public is w/o the underscore
// its better to use private so that CI doesn't route to this function
private function _change($num, $rand = FALSE)
{
if($num < 4) {
$rand = rand(1,9);
$num = $num + $rand;
$this->_change($num,$rand);
} else {
return $num;
}
}
}

Answer 2

lol, you are trying to write function inside function.
try running your class with this code
class Test extends CI_Controller {
function __construct(){
parent::__construct();
}
public function home(){
$num = 1;
$this->change($num);
echo 'done'; // this is not shown
}
public function change($num,$rand=false){
echo 'inside function'; // this is not shown
if($num < 4) {
$rand = rand(1,9);
$num = $num.$rand;
change($num,$rand);
} else {
echo $num;
}
}
}