/**
* Initializes the database link $_db with its variables
*
* Creates a new mysqli object and stores that database link for use in the
* other static methods of the class.
*
* @param string $db_URL the string of the database's URL to connect to
* @param string $db_username the string of the database username
* @param string $db_password the string of the database password
* @param string $db_name the string of the database name to connect to
* @param string $db_salt the string of the salt used for encryption
*
* @return void
* @throws die kills the page if we cannot connect. Why bother continuing?
*
* @access public
* @static
*/
public static function initialize($db_URL, $db_username, $db_password, $db_name, $db_salt)
{
self::$_db = new mysqli($db_URL, $db_username, $db_password, $db_name);
if (self::$_db->connect_errno > 0) {
die('Unable to connect to database [' . self::$_db->connect_error . ']');
}
self::$_salt = $db_salt;
}
