Global Variable - database connection?

Question

I am trying to connect to a database (MySQLi) just once, but am having problems doing so.

How do I make a connection global for the entire script? There are multiple files (index.php, /classes/config.class.php, /classes/admin.class.php, etc).

I've tried the following:

In: config.class.php

public static $config = array();
public static $sql;

function __construct() {
    // database
    db::$config['host'] = 'localhost';
    db::$config['user'] = '_';
    db::$config['pass'] = '_';
    db::$config['db'] = '_';

    // connect
    db::$sql = new mysqli(db::$config['host'], db::$config['user'], db::$config['pass'], db::$config['db']);
}

Again, in config.class.php

public function contectToDatabase($sql){
    $sql = new mysqli(db::$config['host'], db::$config['user'], db::$config['pass'], db::$config['db']);
    $this->sql = $sql;
}

I use the class with the following code: $config = new db();

I really am puzzled at how I'm to do this. Can anyone help?

--- Edit --- This is my new config.class.php file:

public static $config = array();
public static $sql;

private static $db;
private $connection;

public function __construct() {
    // database
    db::$config['host'] = '_';
    db::$config['user'] = '_';
    db::$config['pass'] = '_';
    db::$config['db'] = '_';
    // connect
    $this->connection = new mysqli(db::$config['host'], db::$config['user'], db::$config['pass'], db::$config['db']);
}
function __destruct() {
    $this->connection->close();
}
public static function getConnection() {
    if($db == null){
        $db = new db();
    }
    return $db->connection;
}

And this is how I'm loading it:

require_once("classes/config.class.php");
$config = new db();
$sql = db::getConnection();

However, running a real_escape_string results in the following errors:

Warning: mysqli::real_escape_string() [mysqli.real-escape-string]: Couldn't fetch mysqli in /home/calico/_/_.com/_/index.php on line 20

Warning: mysqli::query() [mysqli.query]: Couldn't fetch mysqli in /home/calico/_/_.com/_/index.php on line 28

Answer 1

Personally, I use a singleton class. Something like this:

<?php

class Database {

    private static $db;
    private $connection;

    private function __construct() {
        $this->connection = new MySQLi(/* credentials */);
    }

    function __destruct() {
        $this->connection->close();
    }

    public static function getConnection() {
        if (self::$db == null) {
            self::$db = new Database();
        }
        return self::$db->connection;
    }
}

?>

Then just use $db = Database::getConnection(); wherever I need it.