Random query once a day, write to include?

SanSui

I've got a listing of articles for an ecommerce site that I'd like to enhance with pictures of some current products from the product database.

These are custom products, so they're not something that's in stock all the time.

I figured I'd write an include for each article that queries the database once a day to pull up different pictures (with link to product page)

Is that the best way to do it? And how would I base the execution of the query on time? I guess get a variable for the day, and when that variable is not the current day, execute the query...

I just don't know how to put that into code

loureiro

im not quite sure what you want to do but i would suggest throwing all your products into a database and linking them through with primary keys and such and then keeping the date in those records and checking when the person runs the script whther the date is the same. if it is then show the picture or whatever. if its not then dont.

use the date() function you can find at mysql.com. it will have a huge table on editing the way you want the date to be used. minutes, seconds, etc.

hope that helps!

SanSui

Also, quick question about how I do the random selection..

If I do a select from table, order by rand, blah blah blah... doesn't that fetch the entire table?

I just want to select two items - should I generate two random numbers for my select statement?

loureiro

thats what im doing right now. i suggest you take time to decide on how you are going to do the naming and follow it. then randomate the 2 numbers you need and then do a select on the record from the table and order it by the number you have randomated.

here's an example i have used before

$query1 = "select picture1 from " . $bdr . "bdr where listingID=" . $picture;

picture1 = name of a field i called to hold picture
$bdr = random number i generated for different # of bedrooms
$picture = random number i generated for the listingID

example query = select picture1 from 2bdr where listingID=10054