Detailing Breadcrumbs

msmysql

Advice on breadcrumbs. I am using breadscrumbs but it seems to not follow the entire trail if both files reside in the same directory.

For example PHP > Injury

So if I select 'Ankle' from the form
It looks like this

PHP>Ankle

Instead of: PHP>Injury >Ankle

Do I need to move all the injuries into there own directory?

What about the fact that is says 'PHP' I know that this is a
directory, but can I mask that?

I have looked at other commercial sites and the breadcrumbs don't show 'system type' directory names.

Is this a simple fix of renaming directories and moving files around?

paulnaj

Er... what's 'breadcrumbs'?

Have you any code to show?

Paul.

TheDefender

Paulnaj, by breadcrumbs, msmysql is talking about those links at the tops of pages that tell you where you are and provide quick navigation back through categories and such... like at the top of theis topic post for example... You know, where it says PHPBuilder.com > PHP Help > Coding > Detailing Breadcrumbs

At any rate, msmysql, you need to provide code and structure information if you want help. There are a few different ways to do breadcrumbs, and we can't speculate on how you are doing it, so post some code, and perhaps a link to your site so we can see exactly what's going on.

dyntryx

Normally the way this would work is it would show you what directories your in, and possibly what file you're viewing would be on the end. In which case if your directory structure were like:

- PHP
    - Injury
     *Ankle

I would think that should display either: PHP -> Injury or PHP -> Injury -> Ankle

From what you're script is doing it sounds like your structure is like this:

- PHP
 *Injury
 *Ankle

Meaning, both are documents. Which would explain why it doesn't show "Injury" when you go to page "Ankle". But nonetheless, if you explain clearly what you want to do we'll help you out. Give us some code and a brief description or simply a more elaborate description of what you need. Hope we can help. 🙂

msmysql

I am using a code that someone linked me to from a library.

(breadcrumb.php)
<link href="/php/styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
 
<?php
#ini_set('display_errors', 'On');
// See class.breadcrumb.inc.php
('class.breadcrumb.inc.php');
$breadcrumb = new breadcrumb;
$breadcrumb->homepage='HOME'; // sets the home directory name
$breadcrumb->dirformat='ucfirst'; // Show the directory in this style
$breadcrumb->symbol=' > '; // set the separator between directories
$breadcrumb->showfile=TRUE; // shows the file name in the path
$breadcrumb->linkFile=TRUE; // Link the file to itself
$breadcrumb->_toSpace=TRUE; // converts underscores to spaces
$breadcrumb->hideFileExt=TRUE; //Hide the file extensions
echo "".$breadcrumb->show_breadcrumb()."";

?>

(class.breadcrumb.inc.php)
<?php
class breadcrumb {
// Directory Structure
var $scriptArray = '';

// Filename
var $fileName = '';

// Document Root
var $document_root = '';

// Homepage name
var $homepage = 'home';

// Directory type formatting
var $dirformat = '';

// Symbol to use between Directories
var $symbol = ' > ';

// CSS Class to use for each item
var $cssClass = '';

// Special Directory text style
var $special = '';

// Frameset target value default is '_self'
var $target = '';

// is this a personal site?
var $personalSite = '';

// Show the filename with the path
var $showfile = TRUE;

// Remove the link to the current directory
var $unlinkCurrentDir = FALSE;

// Hide the file Extension
var $hideFileExt = FALSE;

// Linke the filename to itself
var $linkFile = FALSE;

// Replace underscore with space
var $_toSpace = FALSE;

// Show errors
var $showErrors = FALSE;

// Where are the images kept and what type of images
var $imagedir = array();

// Change the Directory Names to something a bit more readable
var $changeName = array();

// Change the file name to something a bit more user friendly
var $changeFileName = array();

// If variable has a value check for that page if it exists link the directory
// otherwise just show the name of the directory.
var $fileExists = array();

// Remove a directory from the breadcrumb so that it does not show
var $removeDirs = array();

/**
function breadcrumb
@since Version 2.0.0
*/
function breadcrumb() {
// Creates an array of Directory Structure
$this->scriptArray = explode("/", $SERVER['PHP_SELF']);
// Pops the filename off the end and throws it into it's own variable
$this->fileName = array_pop($this->scriptArray);
// Is this a personal site?
if (substr($SERVER['PHP_SELF'], 1, 1)=='~') {
$tmp = explode('/', $SERVER['PHP_SELF']);
$this->personalSite = $tmp[1];
$this->document_root = str_replace(str_replace('/'.$this->personalSite, '', $SERVER["SCRIPT_NAME"]), '', $SERVER['PATH_TRANSLATED']);
}
else
$this->document_root = str_replace($SERVER["SCRIPT_NAME"], '', $SERVER['PATH_TRANSLATED']);
#echo $this->document_root.' ';
#echo $SERVER["SCRIPT_NAME"].' ';
#echo $_SERVER["PATH_TRANSLATED"].' ';
}

/**
function str_split
@since Version 2.2.0
Converts a string to an array
/
function str_split($string) {
for ($i=0; $i<strlen($string); $i++) $array[] = $string{$i};
return $array;
}

/**
function specialLang
@since Version 2.0.0
Convert string into language specified
/
function specialLang($string, $lang) {
// parse Directory special text style
switch($lang) {
case 'elmer': $string = str_replace('l','w',$string);
$string = str_replace('r','w',$string);
break;
case 'hacker': $string = strtoupper($string);
$string = str_replace('A','4',$string);
$string = str_replace('C','(',$string);
$string = str_replace('D','D',$string);
$string = str_replace('E','3',$string);
$string = str_replace('F','ph',$string);
$string = str_replace('G','6',$string);
$string = str_replace('H','}{',$string);
$string = str_replace('I','1',$string);
$string = str_replace('M','|V|',$string);
$string = str_replace('N','|\|',$string);
$string = str_replace('O','0',$string);
$string = str_replace('R','R',$string);
$string = str_replace('S','5',$string);
$string = str_replace('T','7',$string);
break;
case 'pig': $vowels = array('a','A','e','E','i','I','o','O','u','U');
$string = $this->str_split($string);
$firstLetter = array_shift($string);
$string = implode('',$string);
$string = (in_array($firstLetter, $vowels))
? $firstLetter.$string.'yay'
: $string.$firstLetter.'ay';
break;
case 'reverse': $string = strrev($string);
break;
}
return $string;
}

/**
function dirFormat
@since Version 2.2.0
Convert string into specified format
/
function dirFormat($string, $format) {
// parse Directory text style
switch($format) {
case 'titlecase': $string = $this->titleCase($string); break;
case 'ucfirst': $string = ucfirst($string); break;
case 'ucwords': $string = $this->convertUnderScores($string);
$string = ucwords($string); break;
case 'uppercase': $string = strtoupper($string); break;
case 'lowercase': $string = strtolower($string); break;
default: $string = $string;
}
return $string;
}

/**
*/
function titleCase($text) {
$text = $this->convertUnderScores($text);
$min_word_len = 4;
$always_cap_first = TRUE;
$exclude = array('of','a','the ','and','an','or','nor','but','is','if',
'then','else','when','up','at','from','by','on','off',
'for','in','out','over','to','into','with','htm','html',
'php','phtml');

// Allows for the specification of the minimum length  
// of characters each word must be in order to be capitalized 

// Make sure words following punctuation are capitalized 
$text = str_replace(array('(', '-', '.', '?', ',',':','[',';','!'), 
                    array('( ', '- ', '. ', '? ', ', ',': ','[ ','; ','! '),
                    $text); 

$words = explode (' ', strtolower($text)); 
$count = count($words); 
$num = 0; 

while ($num < $count) { 
  if (strlen($words[$num]) >= $min_word_len 
      && array_search($words[$num], $exclude) === false) 
    $words[$num] = ucfirst($words[$num]); 
  $num++; 
} 

$text = implode(' ', $words); 
$text = str_replace( 
array('( ', '- ', '. ', '? ', ', ',': ','[ ','; ','! '), 
array('(', '-', '.', '?', ',',':','[',';','!'), $text); 

 // Always capitalize first char if cap_first is true 
if ($always_cap_first) { 
   if (ctype_alpha($text[0]) && ord($text[0]) <= ord('z') 
      && ord($text[0]) > ord('Z')) 
     $text[0] = chr(ord($text[0]) - 32); 
}

return $text;

}

Basically I want the breadcrumbs to detail the entire path showing all documents accessed. It seems like I need to build separate directory paths in order for that to work instead of storing all documents under one directory.

Also I wanted to use a non-system name instead of the actual directory name in the breadcrumbs. So for example if the files are in the PHP directory, can I call that something else (within the breadcrumbs) or do I need to actually rename the directory.

dyntryx

Okay, so let me get this straight... you want the breadcrumbs to show every document previously accessed? Normally it shows where you're at on the site. Like, if you're in PHP/Injury/Foot/Big_Toe you see PHP -> Injury -> Foot -> Big Toe. But, you want it to keep adding every time they click a link? Like they click Big Toe, then Hand, then Yay and they see: Big Toe -> Hand -> Yay? Wouldn't that keep adding on until it spans to more than 1 line? I'm confused as to exactly what you want to do. And as far as not seeing PHP, yes you could script that out. Anyway, I think your idea would ultimately fail if I understand correctly. But, if that's what you want to do, I will help you. Just repost with some more information.

bradgrafelman

A URL and step-by-step procedure to recreate the problem you're experience would probably help, too.

msmysql

I am not sure if I agree with it ultimately failing. I have seen this on I thought this problem could be correctled by simply separating the files into different directories thus the breadcrumbs would pick it up.

If this is not the easiest way to do this please advise.

Yes I am interested in masking the directory name 'PHP' with something a little more user friendly.

dyntryx

What I'm saying would ultimately fail is if you simply keep attaching every file they visit to the list. Normally breadcrumbs just involve the directories used to reach the file you're viewing along with the file you're viewing itself. Or in some cases (such as the forums we're on right now), the categories used to reach our destination along with the topic. The way you make it sound, you want to have "Blah -> Woo -> Yay" if they accessed blah.php, woo.php, and then yay.php. Is that what you mean? Because if that's the case, I do think it would ultimately fail. What happens when they access 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, etc... Then the list would be huge. In my opinion, the fact that it would get out of hand would be "failing". It wouldn't be accomplishing any purpose.

Anyway, you could do something like make a category page with stuff like this:

$me = "me";
$leg = "$me -> leg";
$foot = "$leg -> foot";
$toe = "$foot -> $toe";

Then say you have a page like toenail.php. So you put that in category "toe". On the page you'd display $category -> $page. So you'd get like: me -> leg -> foot -> toe -> toenail.php. Or of course you could remove .php. That'd be an easy way to do it. Then of course if you want to do the directory thing, but don't want to show PHP, then you can:

1) Find and remove "PHP ->".
or
2) Replace "PHP ->" with "Something else ->".

I'd use str_replace for that. Seriously though, I'm not sure exactly what you want to do. I mean, I'm not trying to be an arse or anything, but recording every single page would be stupid. I hope that wasn't what you wanted to do... unless you have a really good reason. But for normal site navigation it's not really a great idea.

Really though, breadcrumbs are more for pages organized using directories or databases though. Normally if you want a file to fall under a category you do separate it with a directory. I don't see why you'd have categories without separating your files neatly. But, continue to explain if you want more help. 'Cause I have no problem assisting as long as I can figure out what exactly it is you're trying to accomplish. Essentially, unless you need something really special here, just separate them into directories like most people do. And use str_replace to fix your PHP directory issue.

msmysql

I see your point and that I why I mentioned that in my initial post. If this can be corrected by placing the files in directories as you state, then that sounds like the easiest solution.

I will need to re-read the posts to see if someone address the issue of masking the 'system' directory name with something more user friendly.

When you mention remove PHP do you mean renaming the directory name with something else, or is this a code based solution?

In regards to what is wanted, it is more at the request of the website owner ( kind of a moon and stars guy). I am trying to manage this based on what standards are currently being used.

TheDefender

When you refer to PHP as a "system directory", I assume you mean it's kindof an important directory and renaming it from the offset isn't an option. That being the case, start with a subdirectory in there named whatever you want it to be, then put all of your subdirectories and files into that directory, and treat it as your root, rather than the PHP directory.

Also, if you're going to have a lot of files and subdirectories, it may be easier to just load the files into one directory, and use a database category structuring table to separate them out instead... especially if (which you haven't mentioned yet) you plan on allowing people to upload files...

dyntryx

As far as the PHP directory issue goes. You can take the string that contains "PHP -> Injury -> Ankle" and use the str_replace function to remove it or change it to something else. Just click the function in the above sentence and read about it. It's a simple function to use and should do the trick in your case. Enjoy. 🙂

msmysql

Moving some files, creating diretories and some minor code editing on include files seemed to have resolved this problem.