Randomising page elements with php includes

[I, Brian]

I'm building a site with some advertising on. There are 15 possible adverts, and I wish to call up only 5 on any page.

I'm calling up the ads in a slightly random manner, via php include statements:

[code:1:2c63422be7]
<?php include 'ad' . rand(1,3) . '.php' ?>
<?php include 'ad' . rand(4,6) . '.php' ?>
<?php include 'ad' . rand(7,9) . '.php' ?>
<?php include 'ad' . rand(10,12) . '.php' ?>
<?php include 'ad' . rand(13,15) . '.php' ?>
[/code:1:2c63422be7]

I would like to completely randomise the order in which the 15 adverts are called - ie, so they can appear in any order.

I would also like to be able to automatically remove one or more ads at random, to help randomise the entire display. For example, if ads 1,4,7,10 and 13 are called, I would like to see a script remove one or two of these randomly.

Is this going to be easy for someone to script for? What would such a script look like?

Or would I be asking for too much?

[hatchet]

Should be able to do it in an array.. Set one random number, append it to an unique array, loop it back through, etc.. then check for array_length to see if it's 5 while(array_length($array) < 5) .. stop .. display codes.
Call each of the ads by $array[0], $array[1] etc.. in the place of rand(1,3). Or something like that anyway.

[I, Brian]

Well, perhaps I could if I knew how to script or program.

Perhaps I should have posted this in the requests board, asking for some example code to try out?

[hatchet]

while(count($adarray) < 5) {
$adnum=rand(1,15);
array_push($adarray, $adnum);
array_unique($adarray);
} return $adarray;
This would be called at the very top of each page
Then you would call each ad by the following..
<?php include 'ad' . $adarray[0] . '.php' ?>
<?php include 'ad' . $adarray[1] . '.php' ?>
etc..
I haven't tested this or the logic but it seems ok.

[I, Brian]

Thanks for the help, hatchet. I'm afraid I'm simply getting the script printed on the page, and lots of include errors - ad.php not found. I think maybe I should rethink my strategy for this.

[hatchet]

Try changing the include to read like the following
<?php include ("ad".$adarray[0].".php"); ?>
You should be get rid of the include errors as long as the ad1.php exists within the same folder. There may be other errors ... either post the erros here or email me the files and I'll see if I can get it working.

[I, Brian]

Thatnks for trying to help, hatchet, but I couldn't quite get it to work.

Perhaps I should simplify the entire question -

I have 5 page elements I wish to randomise the order of, so that instead of coming up as:

1,2,3,4,5

the order is randomised:

3,5,2,4,1

etc

Would that be much easier to script for?

[hatchet]

Ok... try this..
[code:1:c12ed91825]$s = array();
$n = 5; // the range you require (this will give 1-5)

function set_num() {
global $s, $n;
$add = "yes";
$ran = rand(1, $n);
if(count($s) > 0) {
foreach($s as $sh) {
if($ran == $sh) {
$add = "no";
}
}
}
if($add == "yes") {
$s[] = $ran;
} else {
set_num();
}
}

// call the function as needed
while(count($s) < $n) {
set_num();
}
// output
<?php include ("ad".$s[0].".php"); ?>
<?php include("ad".$s[1].".php"); ?>
[/code:1:c12ed91825]

Let me know.. you can change the number ($n) up to 15 if you need it to and then just call as many as you want. They'll be random and unique.

[hatchet]

I should also clarify - I did not code the above example. It was a code sample at php.net from stuartc1 posted June 2003.

[I, Brian]

Hi Hatchet -

Your help is certainly appreciated in this Darn it, though, I must be doing something wrong as it's still not working.

I'm sure it must be something just very simple, but although I've tried to vary the code, the only thing I can get to work is if I rename the output statements like so:

[code:1:dad4063a06]
<?php include ("ad1".$s[1].".php"); ?>
[/code:1:dad4063a06]

Although that will bring up the numbers 1-5, they aren't in a randomised sequence.

If I simply leave the script with the php includes as so:
[code:1:dad4063a06]
<?php include ("ad".$s[1].".php"); ?>
[/code:1:dad4063a06]

then I simply get a page of include errors.


This is where the page is at:
http://www.britecorp-hosting5.co.uk/ads/

and this the code as it is for the moment:
[code:1:dad4063a06]
<html>
<head>
<title>Ads</title>
</head>
<body>

<script>
$s = array();
$n = 5; // the range you require (this will give 1-5)

function set_num() {
global $s, $n;
$add = "yes";
$ran = rand(1, $n);
if(count($s) > 0) {
foreach($s as $sh) {
if($ran == $sh) {
$add = "no";
}
}
}
if($add == "yes") {
$s[] = $ran;
} else {
set_num();
}
}

// call the function as needed
while(count($s) < $n) {
set_num();
}
</script>

<?php include ("ad".$s[1].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[2].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[3].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[4].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[5].".php"); ?>

</body>
</html>
[/code:1:dad4063a06]

Any ideas?

Anyway, your help is much appreciated - I'll be sure to send some links your way.

[trevHCS]

Replace <script> with <?php and replace </script> with ?>

<script> and </script> are used for client side scripting like Javascript, therefore when PHP reads the page it just thinks thats part of the HTML and ignores it and so your later array $s doesn't contain anything.

Trev

[SVB]

yep, <script> </script> is for javascript.
<?php ?> is for PHP

[hatchet]

Yep.. that's definately the problem. Replace that whole page with this
[code:1:9e9cc83fe5]<?php
$s = array();
$n = 5; // the range you require (this will give 1-5)

function set_num() {
global $s, $n;
$add = "yes";
$ran = rand(1, $n);
if(count($s) > 0) {
foreach($s as $sh) {
if($ran == $sh) {
$add = "no";
}
}
}
if($add == "yes") {
$s[] = $ran;
} else {
set_num();
}
}

// call the function as needed
while(count($s) < $n) {
set_num();
}
?>
<html>
<head>
<title>Ads</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php include ("ad".$s[0].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[1].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[2].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[3].".php"); ?>
<?php include ("ad".$s[4].".php"); ?>

</body>
</html>[/code:1:9e9cc83fe5]
You have to start with $s[0] as your first one.

[I, Brian]

Thanks for that folks, much appreciated.

It's always the little things...