5 link random display using PHP help???

[apausak]

I'm trying to create a script that will randomly select 5 links with separate anchor text from 5 separate arrays in either a single flat text file, or embedded right in a php or cgi script.

Example:

Link 1: http://www.abc.com
Link 2: http://www.efg.com
Link 3: http://www.hij.com
Link 4: http://www.lmn.com
Link 5: http://www.opq.com

Anchor Text for Link 1:
A - Stuff
B - Stuff
C - Stuff

Anchor Text for Link 2:
E - Stuff
F - Stuff
G - Stuff

Anchor Text for link 3:
H - Stuff
I - Stuff
J - Stuff

Etc...

Now what I want to do is display the five links listed above in a random order with randomly selected anchor text (With no repetition).

On the initial load of a page the order might look like this:

A - Stuff | J - Stuff | G - Stuff ... etc ...

On reload of the same page or by loading another page where the same script call resides it might look like this:

I - Stuff | C - Stuff | E - Stuff ... etc ...

An example of this exact same concept being implemented can be viewed at:

http://www.777-best-online-casinos.com/test/index.html

Refresh your browser a few times to see how the links randomly rotate and the anchor text switches up for those links as well.

[paulnaj]

I would do something like ...

// This is to seed the random generator
srand ((float) microtime() * 10000000);

$links[0] = 'http://www.abc.com';
$texts[0] = array('A', 'B', 'C');

$links[1] = 'http://www.def.com ';
$texts[1] = array('D', 'E', 'F');

$links[2] = 'http://www.ghi.com ';
$texts[2] = array('G', 'H', 'I');

// ... etc.

$link_keys = array(0, 1, 2);

// Shuffle the links
shuffle($link_keys);
for(var $i = 0; $i < count($link_keys); $i++){
    $link = $links[$link_keys[$i]];
    // Pick a random text
    $text = array_rand($texts[$i]);

echo '<a href='.$link .'>'.$text .'</a>';
}

... there are probably faster ways, but it works.

[apausak]

Thanks Paulnja,

Works Great!

😃