How can you pull a random item and leave that item on site for a specified time period?

[itcassy]

I would like to pull a random or alphabetical result on the home page
of a site and leave that same result on there for one week. The
closest example I have found online is Random Quote Version 3.1 which
pulls from a text file rather than the database. I cannot mod it to
pull from my db and also it relies on cookies, so I would assume it
would pull a different random item for each computer and then keep
that item on the page for whatever time you specify (?). I am working
with dealers and would like to automatically feature a different
dealer every week without having to go into the db and choose which
one to feature. Is this possible using PHP and MySQL? Does anyone have
any suggestions on a different technology or maybe some links to help?

[Krustov]

<comp.lang.php>
<itcassy>
<Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:19:48 -0000>
<11*********************@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.c om>

I would like to pull a random or alphabetical result on the home page
of a site and leave that same result on there for one week. The
closest example I have found online is Random Quote Version 3.1 which
pulls from a text file rather than the database. I cannot mod it to
pull from my db and also it relies on cookies, so I would assume it
would pull a different random item for each computer and then keep
that item on the page for whatever time you specify (?). I am working
with dealers and would like to automatically feature a different
dealer every week without having to go into the db and choose which
one to feature.

<?php

$temp=time()+604800;

# the above is TIME NOW plus one week

# save $temp to database or flat file

?>

<?php

# grab $temp from database or flat file

$rambo=time();

if ($rambo>$temp) {print "One week has passed - select another dealer";}

?>
--
www.vhit.co.uk

[itcassy]

On Oct 1, 1:47 pm, Krustov <[e-mail]:

<comp.lang.php>
<itcassy>
<Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:19:48 -0000>
<[e-mail].c om>

I would like to pull a random or alphabetical result on the home page
of a site and leave that same result on there for one week. The
closest example I have found online is Random Quote Version 3.1 which
pulls from a text file rather than the database. I cannot mod it to
pull from my db and also it relies on cookies, so I would assume it
would pull a different random item for each computer and then keep
that item on the page for whatever time you specify (?). I am working
with dealers and would like to automatically feature a different
dealer every week without having to go into the db and choose which
one to feature.

<?php

$temp=time()+604800;

# the above is TIME NOW plus one week

# save $temp to database or flat file

?>

<?php

# grab $temp from database or flat file

$rambo=time();

if ($rambo>$temp) {print "One week has passed - select another dealer";}

?>

--www.vhit.co.uk

Thanks for the quick response! However, I am not sure this will work.
Maybe I can clarify... I want the page to automatically choose a
different dealer to display automatically every week. Just like a
random sort except not every time you load the page, I only want the
code to choose a new dealer every week. If I save the temp time to
the db, it would only work once (?) for the first week? Please
correct me if I am not following....

[Krustov]

<comp.lang.php>
<itcassy>
<Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:56:53 -0000>
<11*********************@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups. com>

Thanks for the quick response! However, I am not sure this will work.
Maybe I can clarify... I want the page to automatically choose a
different dealer to display automatically every week. Just like a
random sort except not every time you load the page, I only want the
code to choose a new dealer every week. If I save the temp time to
the db, it would only work once (?) for the first week? Please
correct me if I am not following....

Yes i know what you want - but theres no way for anybody but yourself to
know how much or how little php skills you have - some people only need
a pointer and some people need more help .
At the end of the week - just repeat the $temp process to pick another
dealer to be shown - then repeat again the next week etc .

Assuming you have 50 dealers .....

$batman=(rand()%50);

This will pick a number between 0-49

If dealer number 22 is picked then store dealers name No. 22 in the
database or a flat file .

Then retrieve the dealers name from the database or flat file anytime
the index.php is loaded - and anytime it does this - then check the
$temp to see if its older than one week old .
--
www.vhit.co.uk

[Paul Herber]

On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 18:47:54 +0100, Krustov <[e-mail]:

><comp.lang.php>
<itcassy>
<Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:19:48 -0000>
<11*********************@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups. com>

>I would like to pull a random or alphabetical result on the home page
of a site and leave that same result on there for one week. The
closest example I have found online is Random Quote Version 3.1 which
pulls from a text file rather than the database. I cannot mod it to
pull from my db and also it relies on cookies, so I would assume it
would pull a different random item for each computer and then keep
that item on the page for whatever time you specify (?). I am working
with dealers and would like to automatically feature a different
dealer every week without having to go into the db and choose which
one to feature.

<?php

$temp=time()+604800;

# the above is TIME NOW plus one week

# save $temp to database or flat file

?>

<?php

# grab $temp from database or flat file

$rambo=time();

if ($rambo>$temp) {print "One week has passed - select another dealer";}

?>

Whatever you do, do not follow Krusty's variable naming style.
--
Regards, Paul Herber, Sandrila Ltd. http://www.sandrila.co.uk/