view once

[zoobie]

Is there a way to display random pages just once with PHP without using cookies? I've been away from this great forum and would appreciate a link/tut/code on how to do this. :queasy:

If not I guess I'll just have to use cookies but would still need a link.
Thanks so much
z

[jansky]

you have to use the php function rand()
example : echo rand();
or if you want to have a range
echo rand(10,25);

or if you are using database
you have to use

$query = mysql_query("select * from yourtable order by rand()");

[zoobie]

huh?
the pages should only be viewed once
ugh

[jansky]

Is there a way to display random pages just once <--- so i assume it is random ,

anyway when a page viewed once you can grab the user IP and store it into the database

and after grabbing the IP you have to do some query
$queyr = 'select * from yourtable where ip<>'$ip' order by rand()";

and display the pages here

[zoobie]

well, this is my fault for not being clear...it's late

let's assume I have a folder full of pages
on the bottom of each page is a 'continue' button
this runs a script that randomly selects a page to display
the viewer never sees the same page twice
if all pages have been displayed, a header takes him back to the index
without needing a db

thanks

[thorpe]

the viewer never sees the same page twice
if all pages have been displayed, a header takes him back to the index

These two lines contradict each other. In order to get back to the index page, you need to view it twice. :-P

[zoobie]

ha ha!

[Weedpacket]

zoobie wrote:

without using cookies?

So you want to be able to identify repeat visitors without using the technology invented to identify repeat visitors.

without needing a db

So just use a plain text file.

Sheesh; do I get to use both hands or should I tie one behind my back as well?🙂

[zoobie]

huh?
too tough i guess

[Weedpacket]

No, doable. Ish. But more difficult than it needs to be. And not as reliable. So unless you've got a good reason to avoid cookies and/or databases you're just being masochistic.

Look at Jansky's suggestion, and implement that without using a database (by storing everything in files). And when they've seen all the pages and ask for another one you can have show a guy waving a ladle and shouting "GET OUT! NO MORE PAGES FOR YOU!"

[madwormer2]

I think you're all looking at this too complicatedly!

Observe:

On the first page, set an array of all of the pages you want the user to view into a session variable:

session_start();
$_SESSION['pages'] = Array('page1.htm','page2.htm'); // Etc.

On the next page, you do this:

session_start();
shuffle($_SESSION['pages']);
if(!isset($_SESSION['pages'][0])){
 // The user has no more pages! Do something!
}
$page = $_SESSION['pages'][0];
unset($_SESSION['pages'][0]);
include($page); // OR echo file_get_contents($page); , depending whether it's PHP or html.

Simple!

[zoobie]

well madwormer2, it's working like a charm
so simple, it's stupid
thx a lot

[Weedpacket]

So you only wanted one page view per session, without any persistence across sessions? Why didn't you say so?

(Oh, and you do realise that sessions can use cookies unless you turn them off, right?)

[madwormer2]

(Shhhhh, don't tell him, if it doesn't contain the word "cookie" he should be happy.)

Of course you could still use a database and store the users that have already seen all the pages. That way they pretty much never see it again.

Haha 😃

[zoobie]

ha ha!
it's fine the way it is
i was fiddling with sessions meself but couldn't get it
thx again 🙂