PHP rotator using multidimensional arrays
RESOLVED: See my answer for how I fixed my problems.
I'm not sure if this is possible or not, as I don't know much about arrays, but nothing happens here.
I want to add advertisements to my site.
I figured I could find a way to implement multidimensional arrays for content management.
I came up with this:
$ads = array(
"ad1" => array(
title => "Advertisement Title",
url => "http://example.com",
image => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
description => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad2" => array(
title => "Advertisement Title",
url => "http://example.com",
image => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
description => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad3" => array(
title => "Advertisement Title",
url => "http://example.com",
image => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
description => "Advertisement Description")
);
I ran this code with a syntax check and there were no errors, so I figured I was at least on the right track.
I don't understand how to write a loop foreach
that randomly selects one of the advertisements.
Do I need to change "ad1" => array(
to ad[1] => array(
?
I haven't used too many arrays, so I don't know how to target a specific portion of this in for each loop.
I am hoping to come up with a foreach loop that will output something like:
<a href="UrlFromArray"><img src="ImageSrcFromArray" alt="TitleFromArray">
<br>
<p>DescriptionFromArray</p>
Is this achievable?
CHANGE AND UPDATE:
function displayAds728x90() {
$ads = array(
"ad1" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad2" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad3" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description")
);
$randomAd = array_rand($ads);
echo '<a href="'.$randomAd->url.'" target="_blank">';
echo '<img src="'.$randomAd->image.'" alt="'.$randomAd->title.'">';
echo '</a>';
echo '<p>';
echo $randomAd->description;
echo '</p>';
}
displayAds728x90();
Following on from Dynelight's answers, I came up with the above code.
Now my only problem is I am getting the following errors:
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 23
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 24
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 24
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 27
Just so you know which line numbers correspond to my complete code:
<img src="http://www.example.com/images/your_banner_here.png">
<?php
function displayAds728x90() {
$ads = array(
"ad1" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad2" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad3" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description")
);
$randomAd = array_rand($ads);
echo '<a href="'.$randomAd->url.'" target="_blank">';
echo '<img src="'.$randomAd->image.'" alt="'.$randomAd->title.'">';
echo '</a>';
echo '<p>';
echo $randomAd->description;
echo '</p>';
}
displayAds728x90();
?>
Any ideas on what is causing these errors?
UPDATE 2:
Edited the following division and added missing code snippets:
$randomAd = array_rand($ads);
echo '<a href="'.$ads->$randomAd->url.'" target="_blank">';
echo '<img src="'.$ads->$randomAd->image.'" alt="'.$ads->$randomAd->title.'">';
echo '</a>';
echo '<p>';
echo $ads->$randomAd->description;
echo '</p>';
Executed a var_dump
on $ads
and got the following:
array(3) { ["ad1"]=> array(4) { ["title"]=> string(19) "Advertisement Title" ["url"]=> string(18) "http://example.com" ["image"]=> string(37) "http://example.com/images/example.jpg" ["description"]=> string(25) "Advertisement Description" } ["ad2"]=> array(4) { ["title"]=> string(19) "Advertisement Title" ["url"]=> string(18) "http://example.com" ["image"]=> string(37) "http://example.com/images/example.jpg" ["description"]=> string(25) "Advertisement Description" } ["ad3"]=> array(4) { ["title"]=> string(19) "Advertisement Title" ["url"]=> string(18) "http://example.com" ["image"]=> string(37) "http://example.com/images/example.jpg" ["description"]=> string(25) "Advertisement Description" } }
Rejecting the full page code posted above errors is now:
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 23
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 23
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 24
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 24
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 24
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 24
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 27
Sorry, an error happened. Please try again later
Error 8 : Trying to get property of non-object in /home/jollyrogerpcs/public_html/includes/adRotator728_90.php on line 27
The foreach function is used to iterate over all the elements of an array. You want to get random elements of the array. Take a look at this function, you might find it useful:
http://php.net/manual/en/function.array-rand.php
You get an element in random order and link to it like this:
<?php $random_element = array_rand ( $ads); ?>
<a href="<?php echo $ads->$random_element->url ?>">
<img src="<?php echo $ads->$random_element->image ?>" alt="<?php echo $ads->$random_element->title ?>"></a>
<p><?php echo $ads->$random_element->description; ?></p>
I understood that. I am posting this as an answer in case another user has a similar problem and I can use my question and answer as reference :)
Full working code:
function displayAds728x90() {
$ads = array(
"ad1" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com/1",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad2" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com/2",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description"),
"ad3" => array(
'title' => "Advertisement Title",
'url' => "http://example.com/3",
'image' => "http://example.com/images/example.jpg",
'description' => "Advertisement Description")
);
$randomAd = array_rand($ads);
echo '<a href="'.$ads[$randomAd]['url'].'" target="_blank">';
echo '<img src="'.$ads[$randomAd]['image'].'" alt="'.$ads[$randomAd]['title'].'">';
echo '</a>';
echo '<p>';
echo $ads[$randomAd]['description'];
echo '</p>';
}
displayAds728x90();
Instead of targeting keys with, $ads->$randomAd->description
I target them $ads[$randomAd]['description']
and it works :)