db_set_active

  1. drupal
    1. 4.7 database.inc
    2. 5 database.inc
    3. 6
    4. 7 database.inc
Versions
4.7 – 6 db_set_active($name = 'default')
7 db_set_active($key = 'default')

Activate a database for future queries.

If it is necessary to use external databases in a project, this function can be used to change where database queries are sent. If the database has not yet been used, it is initialized using the URL specified for that name in Drupal's configuration file. If this name is not defined, a duplicate of the default connection is made instead.

Be sure to change the connection back to the default when done with custom code.

Parameters

$name The name assigned to the newly active database connection. If omitted, the default connection will be made active.

Return value

the name of the previously active database or FALSE if non was found.

Related topics

▾ 3 functions call db_set_active()

dblog_watchdog in drupal/modules/dblog/dblog.module
Implementation of hook_watchdog().
install_main in drupal/install.php
The Drupal installation happens in a series of steps. We begin by verifying that the current environment meets our minimum requirements. We then go on to verify that settings.php is properly configured. From there we connect to the configured database…
_drupal_bootstrap in drupal/includes/bootstrap.inc

Code

drupal/includes/database.inc, line 124

<?php
function db_set_active($name = 'default') {
  global $db_url, $db_type, $active_db;
  static $db_conns, $active_name = FALSE;

  if (empty($db_url)) {
    include_once 'includes/install.inc';
    install_goto('install.php');
  }

  if (!isset($db_conns[$name])) {
    // Initiate a new connection, using the named DB URL specified.
    if (is_array($db_url)) {
      $connect_url = array_key_exists($name, $db_url) ? $db_url[$name] : $db_url['default'];
    }
    else {
      $connect_url = $db_url;
    }

    $db_type = substr($connect_url, 0, strpos($connect_url, '://'));
    $handler = "./includes/database.$db_type.inc";

    if (is_file($handler)) {
      include_once $handler;
    }
    else {
      _db_error_page("The database type '" . $db_type . "' is unsupported. Please use either 'mysql' or 'mysqli' for MySQL, or 'pgsql' for PostgreSQL databases.");
    }

    $db_conns[$name] = db_connect($connect_url);
  }

  $previous_name = $active_name;
  // Set the active connection.
  $active_name = $name;
  $active_db = $db_conns[$name];

  return $previous_name;
}
?>