how to rotate links using a server side countdown

bmac11

I'm new to the board.. and php. After hours of googling, I still don't know where to start. Heres a summary of what I am trying to accomplish.

I need to know the easiest way to be able to rotate links based on a countdown. It must be a server side countdown and each new link added to the list must only appear for half the time of the first... and so on. They will be rotated by days.

Whats the easiest/best way I will be able to do this? I have no clue where to start. An apache solution is possible since I am working with alache and mysql.

:: is there anyway I could have a count down of hours? Then when hours = 0, it moves the links and recalculates the time to stay.

Thank you!

bretticus

So are your links coming from random browsers? In other words, how are URLs added to the list? It always helps to know what you are trying to accomplish.

Do you plan to start the first one (for example) with a duration of so many hours or days?

Assuming any of the above is true, you could simply "seed" the first link as a URL with a start time (timestamp) and an expire date and time. Then setup your SQL query to show links where the expire date and time have not been reached. When the next URL comes down the pipe, simply subtract the start time (UNIX_TIMESTAMP() in MySQL I believe) from the expire time, half that time, and then add it to the starttime and you'll have the next Link. You could get the last record by a query such as

$sql = "SELECT MAX(expdate) FROM links";

More input is needed if the assumptions above are false.

bmac11

No, the links are inserted by me in the code.

They will be rotated by days, but I think it will be easier and more effectiant to have them rotate by so many hours, probably no longer than one week (168 hours).

Thanks for the reply. I will read up on what you suggested.

bmac11

I have a question.. when I have my password in a php page to access the mysql database, wont people be able to use it?

Or do I create an account only for it and they cannot connect unless on 'localhost'?

Is there a way people cant view my php code?

bretticus

people should NEVER be able to read your php code. Is this for an intranet where users have read access to your code via the filesystem?

bmac11

No, I just thought people could view the source by clicking view source in the browser.

bretticus

No, I just thought people could view the source by clicking view source in the browser.

.... no! That would be VERY bad!

PHP as in PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor...note the "Pre" means that your PHP code is handed from your Web server to PHP for parsing and then given back to your Web server to send to the browser as hypertext. Well, the Web server is given hypertext from PHP to send back actually.

If your PHP code is appearing in the browser source then PHP is not parsing your code!

PeteB

Originally posted by bmac11
No, the links are inserted by me in the code.

They will be rotated by days, but I think it will be easier and more effectiant to have them rotate by so many hours, probably no longer than one week (168 hours).

Thanks for the reply. I will read up on what you suggested.

Are you looking for something like a "link of the day"?

bmac11

bretticus:: thanks for informing me. I was just wondering bc I know I saw someones php code in a source once. So everything between <?php and ?> wont show up?

PeteB:: Not exactly, I need to rotate links, in sets of 3, but they have to move at certain times, based on an hour countdown, and when they were entered.

bretticus

So everything between <?php and ?> wont show up?

...right. PHP parses this and unless you code somthing to show up:

echo 'hello world';

It should never be sent to the browser, I have seen situations where a IT admin botched PHP (mistakenly took out the php module for Apache for example) and PHP code was unparsed and displayed as hypertext. So maybe this is your frame of reference.