Changing pages randomly

SHED

Hi,
I need help with a frames issue... I have a frames page & would like to have the page (using PHP) randomly pick a new header each time a user loads the page... I thought this would be easy like random banner adds but has proven not quite so simple. I have tried many things & even tried Java script for a while but can't seem to get anything to work... most likly my sad understanding of the syntax thus far... Any ideas are VERY welcome,
Thank you,
- SHED

Mordecai

Well, how are you picking random pages? Is it from a random ID (if so, you'll need to know the max number)? Is it from a list of IDs (they could be numerical, textual, anything, really). If it's the latter, you'll need all the IDs in an array, so you can pick them out randomly.

When it all boils down, it's just a matter of using rand(). You can use rand() like so: rand(1,100) -> a number 1 through 100.

leatherback

Hi,

Why don't you use rand() to create a random function (See the manual for more info: http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/function.rand.php) and select a page_id based on the random number generated.

Select * from PagesTable where id = $RandomNumber

Mordecai

Originally posted by leatherback
Select from PagesTable where id = $RandomNumber

MySQL has a built in random function:
SELECT FROM PagesTable ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 0, 1

SHED

This is the last revision I tried:

<?php

$grb_buffer = '';

srand( (double) microtime()*1000000 );

$possiblities = array("header.html", "header2.html");

$selected = rand(0, 2);

head = $possibilities[$selected];

$grb_buffer .= '<frame name="header" scrolling="no" noresize target="body" frame src="' . $head . '" marginwidth="4" marginheight="4">';
return $grb_buffer;

But when it gets down to it I just don't know enough yet to know if my syntax is right or if it's even close to being the proper concept... Scripting in BASH I found many instances where syntax was logically right but not allowed thus a fix was just as logical in flow but only one way worked... In that instance the wrong way also had proper generic syntax for lack of a better term... this however I still have no clue 😉

Mordecai

$possiblities = array("header.html", "header2.html");
$head = $possibilities[rand(0,count($possibilites))];
$grb_buffer .= '<frame name="header" scrolling="no" noresize target="body" frame src="' . $head . '" marginwidth="4" marginheight="4">';
echo($grb_buffer);

And there you have it, a random selection from $possibilites. I just put most everything in one line, and changed a bit around. You could just put the entire $possibilities[rand...] thing inside $grb_buffer rather than $head, if you wanted.
count() just returns the number of indices in the array.

SHED

Sadly I can't say it works... unless I missed something I've tried a few variations on placement & such but my browser loads the body page in the headers place as its not seeing the echo command as a
html line (or anything possibly) & see the body definition as the page that goes where the header is... since there is nothing past the body the body area is alot of white nothing... I don't know why it ignores the echo...

Mordecai

I think I see why... Try changing "$grb_buffer .=" to "$grb_buffer =". I copied the line from your script but failed to realize that you had already defined $grb_buffer.

SHED

Ok I tried a few things this being the last

<frameset framespacing="0" border="0" rows="120,*" frameborder="0">
<?php

$possiblities = array("header.html", "header2.html");
$head = $possibilities[rand(0,count($possibilites))];
$work_damnit = "<frame name="header" scrolling="no" noresize target="body" frame src="' . $head . '" marginwidth="4" marginheight="4">";

echo $work_damnit

I removed the period before the = & then after that didnt work I tried to change from single quotes to double around the html line...
this looks ok... frameset then the header then the body... but the end result is frame set ignore php body... 🙁 forgive me as I'm VERY tired & quite late for bed but is there any way to spit the $work_damnit variable out to see the final product? I'm just curious once it passes that is it ignoring the php or does the body go in the header place because what is echo'd is malformed in a way it does nto see it as a page assignment.
Thanks,
- SHED