[RESOLVED] Getting and Displaying Feeds Randomly

Channel5

I'm trying to randomly select 5 entries from an array taken from an RSS feed.

I think I have the basics, but something must be way off at the same time...

$content = file_get_contents($feed);
$x = new SimpleXmlElement($content); 
$feed = array();

foreach($x->channel->item as $entry){
  $value = '<p><a href="' .$entry->link. '">' .$entry->title. '</a><br />';
  $value .= $entry->description;
  $feed[$entry->id] = $value;
}

while($a < 5){
   echo $feed[array_rand($feed)];
   $a++;
}

The error I get says it's an illegal offset type at line: $feed[$entry->id] = $value;

Any suggestions?

NogDog

I'd start debugging by doing a var_dump() of $entry->id at that point to find out what (if anything) it is set to (and its type).

Channel5

Generally, speaking would you say my code looks solid?

It seems like my array isn't holding the data for some reason. I've rarely used arrays before this. Can you see anything I'm doing wrong in regard to coding them?

Is it not possible to create an array inside a foreach loop? Because that seems to be the problem.

NogDog

Nothing obviously wrong to me, and yes, it's possible to assign elements to an array within a foreach() loop (or anywhere else, for that matter). The error message appears to be complaining about $entry->id not being valid for use as an array index ("offset"), therefore my suggestion to var_dump() it and find out what its value and type are. (E.g.: if it's an object or an array then it's not valid as an array index, or if its NULL it might not be allowed, either.

Channel5

I think I have always solved this problem...

I'm getting everything it work pretty good except that with array_rand() it outputs the key only -- when I need the value.

How do I get the value from the array_rand()?

Weedpacket

You don't; you get it from the array....

$feed[array_rand($feed)]

Oh, wait....

Channel5

I got it. Thanks guys.