[RESOLVED] php inside css files (and even javascript files!)

magburner

Hi there first post! 🙂 I'm a total php newbie, but I'm slowly picking up the php language. I like how you can embed php inside xhtml files, and I was wondering if this could be done with linked css files (and even linked javascript files).

I could test this myself, but like I've said, I'm a total newbie, and I would not be able to tell if it was down to my poor programming skills, or the the restrictions of php.

I've created a php stylesheet switcher, that works ok, but its is very basic - it only swaps the link code in the head area. this means that I need several different stylesheets What I'd really like is one bigger stylesheet file that has php code inside it, that can be altered dynamically.

Is it possible to do this (is it difficult?), and could the variables be passed from a xhtml file to the css file, and vice versa? Lastly, how would I go about doing this?

Thanks.

sneakyimp

you might try putting a CSS link to a php file:

magburner

Uh, I take it you never read my post then? I mentioned that already.

I do the link code in php, but it requires one file for each and every style I use. I plan to create many different styles, so editing many different stylesheets could eventually become a bit of a nightmare. So I though I'd ask to see if it is possible to fill out a css file with conditional php code that can be switched on and off depending on how a script is executed. is it possible, and if so, how?

bradgrafelman

Well, obviously the answer is 'yes'. I don't understand what else you're asking.

magburner wrote:
...that can be switched on and off dependong on how a script is executed.

What do you mean? Do you mean passing it arguments, e.g. "mycss.php?style=3&foo=bar" ?

magburner wrote:
...if so, how?

Same way you mix HTML and PHP; just... use PHP like you normally do.

magburner

Hmmm... sorry, I'm new to this, and I'm not making myself very clear.

Can you put php directly into a linked CSS file like you can with an XHTML file? Say for instance I had a CSS file called stylesheet.css, could I put php inside that file, and would it work the same as in an XHTML file? I hope this is clearer... 🙁

bradgrafelman

Well, see, that's why people suggested renaming the .css file to .php - then it's a simple matter of using PHP wherever you need in that file. Example:

#myClass {
    background: red;
    font-weight: bold;
    color: <?php
$color = (isset($_GET['color']) ? $_GET['color'] : 'black');
echo $color;
?>;
}

#myClass2 {
    text-deoration: underline;
    color: <?php echo $color; ?>;
}

Now, there are technically ways to make PHP parse .css files for PHP code as well, but there's really no reason why you shouldn't just rename the .css stylesheet to .php instead.

EDIT: After typing that example, I remembered the '#' identified element ID's, so uhm... pardon the misuse of CSS terms, but you get the general idea. :o

sneakyimp

my recommendation was intended to let you use a single php file as your style sheet that could output different CSS styles depending on whatever criteria you choose.

for example, in my example above you might have something like

// MY_CSS.PHP

$today = 'monday'; // this is here just for the sake of argument....you could put any logic u want.


if ($today=='monday') {
  echo "
.style1 {
  background-color: #ff0000;
  font-size: large;
}

";
} else {
  echo "
.style1 {
  background-color: #00ff00;
  font-size: medium;
}

";
}

magburner

ok guys thanks for the comments, I'll give your ideas a go, but I'll still see if I can figure out I can get my idea to work. Thanks again! 🙂