Problem limiting characters using substr - almost had it working!

hsneil · Jan 15, 2008

Hi All

I'm having problems modifying the following script, which is a module for Joomla/Virtuemart.

<?php
defined( '_VALID_MOS' ) or die( 'Direct Access to this location is not allowed.' ); 
/*
* Best selling Products module for VirtueMart
* @version $Id: mod_virtuemart_topten.php 617 2007-01-04 19:43:08Z soeren_nb $
* @package VirtueMart
* @subpackage modules
*
* @copyright (C) John Syben (john@webme.co.nz)
* Conversion to Mambo and the rest:
* 	@copyright (C) 2004-2005 Soeren Eberhardt
*
* @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU/GPL
* VirtueMart is Free Software.
* VirtueMart comes with absolute no warranty.
*
* www.virtuemart.net
*----------------------------------------------------------------------
* This code creates a list of the bestselling products
* and displays it wherever you want
*----------------------------------------------------------------------
*/
global $mosConfig_absolute_path, $sess;

/* Load the virtuemart main parse code */
require_once( $mosConfig_absolute_path.'/components/com_virtuemart/virtuemart_parser.php' );

require_once(CLASSPATH.'ps_product.php');
$ps_product = new ps_product;

// change the number of items you wanna haved listed via module parameters
$num_topsellers = $params->get ('num_topsellers', 10);

$list  = "SELECT p.product_id, p.product_sales as sales, p.product_parent_id, p.product_name, c.category_id, c.category_flypage ";
$list .= "FROM #__{vm}_product p, #__{vm}_product_category_xref pc, #__{vm}_category c WHERE ";
$q = "p.product_publish='Y' AND ";
$q .= "pc.product_id = p.product_id AND ";
$q .= "pc.category_id = c.category_id AND ";
$q .= "p.product_sales > 0 ";
$q .= "GROUP BY p.product_id ";
$q .= "ORDER BY sales DESC, p.product_name ";
$list .= $q . " LIMIT 0, $num_topsellers "; 

$db = new ps_DB;
$db->query($list);

$tt_item=0;
$i = 0;
?>

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<?php

  while ($db->next_record()) {
      if ($i == 0) {
          $sectioncolor = "sectiontableentry2";
          $i += 1;
      }
      else {
          $sectioncolor = "sectiontableentry1";
          $i -= 1;
      } 
      if( !$db->f('category_flypage') ) {
      	$flypage = ps_product::get_flypage( $db->f('product_id'));
      }
      else {
      	$flypage = $db->f('category_flypage');
      }
      $tt_item++;
      $pid = $db->f("product_parent_id") ? $db->f("product_parent_id") : $db->f("product_id");

  ?>
<tr class="<?php echo $sectioncolor ?>">
  <td width="15%"><?php printf("%02d", $tt_item); ?></td>
  <td width="85%">
    <a href="<?php  $sess->purl(URL . "index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=$flypage&product_id=" . $pid . "&category_id=" . $db->f("category_id")) ?>">
        <?php $db->p("product_name"); ?>
    </a>
  </td>
</tr>
<?php 
  } ?>
</table>

What I want to do is limit the number of characters returned in the line:

            <?php $db->p("product_name"); ?>

I've tried replacing it with something like this..

$prodname = $db->p("product_name");
$prodname1 = substr($prodname,0,5);  

echo $prodname1;

..and it returns the right product names, but doesnt limit the number of characters.

Weird thing is, if I use:

$prodname = "anytext";
$prodname1 = substr($prodname,0,5);  

echo $prodname1;

then it returns "anyte" - so I know my code is along the right lines.

Can anyone help me out with a solution?

laserlight · Jan 15, 2008

That's weird. My guess is that you have a typo error. Try:

echo substr($db->p("product_name"), 0, 5);

hsneil · Jan 15, 2008

No joy with that either, it still returns the correct product names, but full names.

laserlight · Jan 15, 2008

No joy with that either, it still returns the correct product names, but full names.

What is the code that you tested with, and its output?

If your code is correct, you have discovered a bizarre bug with substr().

hsneil · Jan 15, 2008

This is the script in it's current state. <url removed>

The output in question is the "Top Ten" module on the bottom left of the page.

<?php
defined( '_VALID_MOS' ) or die( 'Direct Access to this location is not allowed.' ); 
/*
* Best selling Products module for VirtueMart
* @version $Id: mod_virtuemart_topten.php 617 2007-01-04 19:43:08Z soeren_nb $
* @package VirtueMart
* @subpackage modules
*
* @copyright (C) John Syben (john@webme.co.nz)
* Conversion to Mambo and the rest:
* 	@copyright (C) 2004-2005 Soeren Eberhardt
*
* @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU/GPL
* VirtueMart is Free Software.
* VirtueMart comes with absolute no warranty.
*
* www.virtuemart.net
*----------------------------------------------------------------------
* This code creates a list of the bestselling products
* and displays it wherever you want
*----------------------------------------------------------------------
*/
global $mosConfig_absolute_path, $sess;

/* Load the virtuemart main parse code */
require_once( $mosConfig_absolute_path.'/components/com_virtuemart/virtuemart_parser.php' );

require_once(CLASSPATH.'ps_product.php');
$ps_product = new ps_product;

// change the number of items you wanna haved listed via module parameters
$num_topsellers = $params->get ('num_topsellers', 10);

$list  = "SELECT p.product_id, p.product_sales as sales, p.product_parent_id, p.product_name, c.category_id, c.category_flypage ";
$list .= "FROM #__{vm}_product p, #__{vm}_product_category_xref pc, #__{vm}_category c WHERE ";
$q = "p.product_publish='Y' AND ";
$q .= "pc.product_id = p.product_id AND ";
$q .= "pc.category_id = c.category_id AND ";
$q .= "p.product_sales > 0 ";
$q .= "GROUP BY p.product_id ";
$q .= "ORDER BY sales DESC, p.product_name ";
$list .= $q . " LIMIT 0, $num_topsellers "; 

$db = new ps_DB;
$db->query($list);

$tt_item=0;
$i = 0;
?>

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<?php

  while ($db->next_record()) {
      if ($i == 0) {
          $sectioncolor = "sectiontableentry2";
          $i += 1;
      }
      else {
          $sectioncolor = "sectiontableentry1";
          $i -= 1;
      } 
      if( !$db->f('category_flypage') ) {
      	$flypage = ps_product::get_flypage( $db->f('product_id'));
      }
      else {
      	$flypage = $db->f('category_flypage');
      }
      $tt_item++;
      $pid = $db->f("product_parent_id") ? $db->f("product_parent_id") : $db->f("product_id");

  ?>
<tr class="<?php echo $sectioncolor ?>">
  <td width="15%"><?php printf("%02d", $tt_item); ?></td>
  <td width="85%">
    <a href="<?php  $sess->purl(URL . "index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=$flypage&product_id=" . $pid . "&category_id=" . $db->f("category_id")) ?>">
        <?php echo substr($db->p("product_name"), 0, 5);  ?>
    </a>
  </td>
</tr>
<?php 
  } ?>
</table>

<!--Top 10 End-->

laserlight · Jan 15, 2008

Oh my, it looks correct to me. Okay, let's try another test. Instead of using substr(), use strtoupper(). What is the effect?

hsneil · Jan 15, 2008

strtoupper() isn't working either, letters do not change to uppercase.

laserlight · Jan 15, 2008

strtoupper() isn't working either, letters do not change to uppercase.

Okay, that means that your code is probably at fault. It is unlikely (though possible) that the same bug applies to both substr() and strtoupper().

I suggest finding the smallest and simplest script that demonstrates the error. For example, I might simplify it to:

<?php
defined( '_VALID_MOS' ) or die( 'Direct Access to this location is not allowed.' );

global $mosConfig_absolute_path, $sess;

/* Load the virtuemart main parse code */
require_once( $mosConfig_absolute_path.'/components/com_virtuemart/virtuemart_parser.php' );

require_once(CLASSPATH.'ps_product.php');
$ps_product = new ps_product;

// change the number of items you wanna haved listed via module parameters
$num_topsellers = $params->get('num_topsellers', 10);

$query = "SELECT p.product_id, p.product_sales as sales, p.product_parent_id, p.product_name, c.category_id, c.category_flypage
          FROM #__{vm}_product p, #__{vm}_product_category_xref pc, #__{vm}_category c
          WHERE p.product_publish='Y'
              AND pc.product_id = p.product_id
              AND pc.category_id = c.category_id
              AND p.product_sales > 0
          GROUP BY p.product_id
          ORDER BY sales DESC, p.product_name
          LIMIT 0, $num_topsellers";

$db = new ps_DB;
$db->query($query);

while ($db->next_record()) {
    echo htmlspecialchars(substr($db->p("product_name"), 0, 5)) . '<br />';
}
?>

hsneil · Jan 15, 2008

The code you just posted results in the same error still.

laserlight · Jan 15, 2008

Then simplify it further. I have no way to test this myself. If you can post a script that can be tested by others, that's even better.

hsneil · Jan 15, 2008

I'm sorry, I do apoligse.

My level of PHP is way, way below other areas of my knowledge (CSS/XHTML/Flash).

Would you be able to take a look if I gave you a temporary FTP account? If not, I understand.

laserlight · Jan 15, 2008

Would you be able to take a look if I gave you a temporary FTP account? If not, I understand.

Unfortunately, I need to sleep very soon, and I would discourage such offers because they impose a security risk.

foyer · Jan 15, 2008

If I were you I would use Joomla's DB class and just re-write it myself.


//If inside a function you need global database
global $database;

$query = "SELECT p.product_id, p.product_sales as sales, p.product_parent_id, p.product_name, c.category_id, c.category_flypage
          FROM #__{vm}_product p, #__{vm}_product_category_xref pc, #__{vm}_category c
          WHERE p.product_publish='Y'
              AND pc.product_id = p.product_id
              AND pc.category_id = c.category_id
              AND p.product_sales > 0
          GROUP BY p.product_id
          ORDER BY sales DESC, p.product_name
          LIMIT 0, $num_topsellers";

$database->setQuery($query);
$database->loadObjectList($products);

while ($products as $p) {
    echo htmlspecialchars(substr($p->product_name, 0, 5)) . '<br />';
}

Problem limiting characters using substr - almost had it working!

Hhsneil

laserlight

Hhsneil

laserlight

Hhsneil

laserlight

Hhsneil

laserlight

Hhsneil

laserlight

Hhsneil

laserlight

Ffoyer