PHP - Php Comments - Make Function Block Documentation Private To File

Hi, first post here.  I'm wanting to create a php script which will call itself in a recursive function so that nested comments are made ..

An example of a perfect hierarchy would be as bellow...

Note how they go deep into the comment replies (should support 7-25 comments in comments/deep) At the moment it only goes three deep as the recursive function doesn't  work...

I have created the function, but for some reason the line "comment($row['id']);" in the recursive function isn't preforming anything, commented or un commented. However looks fine to me.

function comment($reply_to_id){

global $db;

echo $reply_to_id;

$stmt11 = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM `posts` WHERE reply_to = :thing');

$stmt11->execute(['thing' => $reply_to_id]);

while ($row = $stmt11->fetch()) {

echo "<br>";

echo " //----------[UID: ".$row['post_by']."]----------".$row['date']."----------->>> ";

echo $row['content'];

// comment($row['id']);

}

}

The full code is ..

<?php require('includes/config.php');

//define page title

$title = 'Thread Page';

//include header template

require('layout/header.php');

echo "<h1>the Forum // make post </h1>";

$id = $_GET['id'];

$reply = $_GET['reply'];

$rando1;

$test = $_GET['test'];

$index = 1;

?>

<?php

function indent(){

echo "-";

}

function stars($index){

//example to demonstrate star pattern-2

for($i=1; $i<=$index; $i++) {

for($j=1; $j<=$i; $j++)

{

echo '*';

}

echo '*';

}

}

function comment($reply_to_id){

global $db;

echo $reply_to_id;

$stmt11 = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM `posts` WHERE reply_to = :thing');

$stmt11->execute(['thing' => $reply_to_id]);

while ($row = $stmt11->fetch()) {

echo "<br>";

echo " //----------[UID: ".$row['post_by']."]----------".$row['date']."----------->>> ";

echo $row['content'];

// comment($row['id']);



}



}



?>

<ul>

<?php

$rando_id = null;

// dealing with inital thread

$stmt = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM `topics` WHERE rando_id = :topic_id');

$stmt->execute(['topic_id' => $id]);

while ($row = $stmt->fetch())

{

echo "Contents:<br>";

echo $row['contents'];

echo "<br><br>By: ";

$stmt2 = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM `members` WHERE memberID = :mem_id');

$stmt2->execute(['mem_id' => $row['topic_by']]);

while ($row2 = $stmt2->fetch())

{

echo "<a href='profile.php?id=".$row2['user_ID']."'>".$row2['username']."</a><br>";



comment($row2['reply_id']);

}

echo "Timestamp: ".$row['date']."<br>";

echo "<a href='post_post.php?type='>Post reply</a><br>";

echo "----------------------";

echo "<br>";





}

echo "<br>";

$stmt3 = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM `posts` WHERE reply_to = :reply_to');

$stmt3->execute(['reply_to' => $id]);

while ($row3 = $stmt3->fetch())

{

echo "<br>";

echo "// UID: [".$row3['post_by']."] ---- ".$row3['date']."------->> ".$row3['content']." <a href='post_post.php'>Reply</a>";

// comment($row3['reply_id']);




$reply_to_id = $row3['reply_id'];

$stmt11 = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM `posts` WHERE reply_to = :thing');

$stmt11->execute(['thing' => $reply_to_id]);

while ($row = $stmt11->fetch())

{



// ----------------------------- SEE HERE (sp[lice]) -----------------------------



echo "<br>---[UID:";

echo $row['post_by']."] -- ".$row['date'].": ";

echo $row['content'];

echo " <a href='reply.php'>Reply</a>";

echo " [Reply to: ".$row['reply_to']."]";

echo " [Reply ID: ".$row['reply_id']."]";

$reply_to_id=$row['reply_id'];

$stmt111 = $db->prepare('SELECT * FROM `posts` WHERE reply_to = :thing');

$stmt111->execute(['thing' => $reply_to_id]);

while ($row33 = $stmt111->fetch()) {

echo "<br>--------[UID:";

echo $row33['post_by']."] -------- ".$row['date'].": ";

echo $row33['content'];

echo " <a href='reply.php'>Reply</a>";

echo " [Reply to: ".$row33['reply_to']."]";

echo " [Reply ID: ".$row33['reply_id']."]";

echo "<br>";

comment($row33['reply_id']);







}} // ------------------------------------------------------

}

?>

</ul>

<?php

if ($user->is_logged_in()){

} else {

echo "<h2>Login to create post </h2>";

echo "<a href='login.php'>Click to login</a>";

}

?>

<?php

//include header template

require('layout/footer.php');

?>