Keeping track of list items with php?

Paperdoll

Hi!

I'm new here and I really need some help with implementing a feature in a menu. I hope I've come to the right place!

I have a web site where I include a top menu with PHP. The menu is built like a horizontal unordered list and I want two things to happen when you click on a menu item:

The selected item should get the class "current"
The item before it in the list (to the left) should get the class "before-current"

I know how to set the "current" class for the selected item using php. I do it like this:

<ul id="menu">
<li<?php if ($thisPage=="Page1")
echo " class=\"current\""; ?>>Page1

<li<?php if ($thisPage=="Page2")
echo " class=\"current\""; ?>>Page2

<li<?php if ($thisPage=="Page3")
echo " class=\"current\""; ?>>Page3
</ul>

What I don't know is how to set the "before-current" class to the item before it.

Can someone help me with the php code for this? I want the code to say: "If thisPage is "Page2" then set "Page2" to class "current" and set "Page1" to "before-current".

Anyone? Thank you very much!

devinemke

<?php
$pages = array(
1 => 'Page1',
2 => 'Page2',
3 => 'Page3',
4 => 'Page4',
5 => 'Page5'
);

foreach ($pages as $key => $value)
{
	$class = 'normal';
	if ($key == $_GET['page']) {$class = 'current';}
	if ($key == $_GET['page'] - 1) {$class = 'before-current';}
	echo '<a href="' . $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] . '?page=' . $key . '" class="' . $class . '">' . $value . '</a><br>' . "\n";
}
?>

Paperdoll

Thanks!

But.. I don't understand how to use it in my menu.. where will I put this and where will i put my other menu-code?

<ul id="menu">
<li<?php if ($thisPage=="Page1")
echo " class=\"current\""; ?>>Page1

<li<?php if ($thisPage=="Page2")
echo " class=\"current\""; ?>>Page2

<li<?php if ($thisPage=="Page3")
echo " class=\"current\""; ?>>Page3
</ul>

Sorry for not understanding. Thanks for trying to help!

devinemke

my example suggests that you keep all of your pages in an array and loop thru it to display your menu. during each loop iteration, check to see if the page is current or one less than current and echo the appropriate CSS class.

Paperdoll

Thank you so much for replying. I still didn't quite understand so I tried another thing that crossed my mind, and it seem to work! I'm not sure if it's a "good" way to solve it though..

Here goes. Since I had already placed an identifier at the top of every page, like this:

<?php $thisPage="Page 3"; ?>

to control the "current" class, I put another identifier there as well:

<?php $beforePage="Page 4"; ?>.

A page could only be a "before page" to one other page (the page right after it). That way I could control both the current and the before-current class, and write the menu items like this:

<li<?php if ($thisPage=="Page3") {  

                              echo " class=\"current\""; } 
                       elseif ($beforePage=="Page3") {
   	              echo " class=\"before-current\""; } 
                       else {  						              echo " class=\"normal\""; }?>>
<a href="../index.php"><span>Start</span></a></li>

It works fine, but do you see any problems with it?

Thanks again!

leatherback

Hi Paperdoll,

Yes, it could work, what you just posted. It requires a lot of coding from yrou side to make a say, 25 element menu. It isn't really expandable.

Give the code by devinemke a try.It works by passing a NUMBER for the page to the menu in the link. For testing, just place her code into an empty page, and open in your browser. See whether it gives you waht you expected. (You can test the menu by placing ?page=2 behind the url in the addressbar)

madwormer2

"her" lol -> http://www.devinemke.com/

leatherback

Oh, oops!

Just.. In dutch EMKE is a girlsname. So I figures devinemke would be the name, and aslo girlsname. But yeah.. Devin Emke is a but different. My sincere apologies!

devinemke

leatherback wrote:
Oh, oops!

Just.. In dutch EMKE is a girlsname. So I figures devinemke would be the name, and aslo girlsname. But yeah.. Devin Emke is a but different. My sincere apologies!

no prob, i'm used to it. i'll have to remember that next time i wish to travel incognito in the Netherlands.

leatherback

But Devin is your first name right? And emke family name? You'll be safe then ;-)

Paperdoll

Ok, thanks. I just don't understand how I should combine the array with my <ul><li> tags so I guess I'll just have to stick to this.

Thanks anyway!

leatherback

Change the <a href= to <li and the </a> to and you should be on your way.

Don't be afraid to try things! It is not going to eat you!

Paperdoll

Hey you guys! I think I got it now! 🙂

I use your code devinemke and make some changes to this part:

$pages = array(
1 => 'Page1',
2 => 'Page2',
3 => 'Page3',
4 => 'Page4',
5 => 'Page5'
);

and put in my menu items and menu item namnes instead of 1-5 and Page1-Page5. Yes? Yes!