[RESOLVED] Switch Improvements?

[nawrik]

For my latest project I am wanting to create a menu where each link has it's own unique style.

What I have achieved so far works, each link has it's own style.

However I know this function can be improved because at the moment the 'output' of each correct switch case is the actual menu, obviously each class changing depending on the value of $view.

As you can see the problem is that each menu item needs its own copy of the menu - this will cause major problems when I come to updating the menu....

//Get the page

$view = $_GET["view"];

//Create the function

function activeSwitch($view)
{
	switch ($view)
	{
    case '':
	echo "
	<li><a href=\"?view=photography\" class=\"hubphotography\">Photography</a></li>
	<li><a href=\"?view=web\" class=\"hubweb\">Web</a></li>
	";
   	break;

case "photography":
echo "
<li><a href=\"?view=photography\" class=\"hubphotographyactive\">Photography</a></li>
<li><a href=\"?view=web\" class=\"hubweb\">Web</a></li>
";	
break;

case "web":
echo "
<li><a href=\"?view=photography\" class=\"hubphotography\">Photography</a></li>
<li><a href=\"?view=web\" class=\"hubwebactive\">Web</a></li>
";	
break;

default:
echo "
<li><a href=\"?view=photography\" class=\"hubphotography\">Photography</a></li>
<li><a href=\"?view=web\" class=\"hubweb\">Web</a></li>
";
break;
}

}

//Call the function

   <ul> 
        <?php activeSwitch($view); ?> 
   </ul>

As you can see the function has only 2 menu items and is already a nightmare to manage....

Can anyone help me to shrink the function, i'm guessing an include of the menu is the first thing - but I can't work out how to create a variable that can be changed.....

All help appreciated,

Thanks in advance.

[djjjozsi]

You want to make different style classes for different pages?

if yes, then you can make the switch case:

<?php

function activeSwitch( $view )
{
    switch ( $view ) {
        case "photography":
            $style1 = hubphotographyactive;
            $style2 = hubweb;

        break;

    case "web":
        $style1 = hubphotography;
        $style2 = hubwebactive;

        break;

    default:
        $style1 = hubphotography;
        $style2 = hubweb;
} 
// then finally print the contents
echo "
<li><a href=\"?view=photography\" class=\"$style1\">Photography</a></li>
<li><a href=\"?view=web\" class=\"$style2\">Web</a></li>
";
} 

?>

[dagon]

you could use a mult dimensional array instead of the switch using $view as the key, but that's probably just personal preference

basically:

$f=array('photography'=>array('hubphotographyactive','hubweb');
//add web etc to the above

echo "
    <li><a href=\"?view=photography\" class=\"$f[$view][0]\">Photography</a></li>
    <li><a href=\"?view=web\" class=\"$f[$view][1]\">Web</a></li>
    "; 

[nawrik]

djjjozsi,

thank you that worked a treat...all working - just have to add more items and css classes!

Here is a link to the successful page. It's only the menu buttons at the moment but I plan to use a similar switch to load the matching background to the button:

http://www.mattkirwan.com/newmktest/?view=web

dagon,

I quite like the look of the array.... i've never really touched on arrays.

One question though:

How would I deal with an error using that array?

For example with the switch, I have at least the 'default' style to fall back on, if the user mispells the url eg: "?view=potography"

I'm guessing the !empty would come in handy, but how would the array differentiate between existing an non existent values in $view?

Thank you.

As usual, PHPBUILDER to the rescue!

[dagon]

nawrik;10933027 wrote:

One question though:

How would I deal with an error using that array?

For example with the switch, I have at least the 'default' style to fall back on, if the user mispells the url eg: "?view=potography"

something like this world work:

if(array_key_exists($_GET["view"],$f)){
$view = $_GET["view"];
}else{
$view = 'DEFAULT';
}

[nawrik]

Dagon,

perfect, i've copied the working 'switch' and currently trying to implement the array suggestion for nothing but fun and learning (oh and to put off the monotonous content gathering!).

Thank you.