variables between snippets to mysql query

Hi,

i’m trying to do something like this:

$var="[+somevar+]";

$query = "SELECT * FROM table WHERE x = $var";
echo $query;
$modx->db->query($query);

Here ’somevar’ is a placeholder created in another snippet if I leave out the query line everything works fine but with it I get something like

Execution of a query to the database failed - You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ’[+somevar+]’ at line 1

has anyone managed to do this ?

$var=$modx->getPlaceholder(’somevar’);

Thanks