[SOLVED] php variable into <a href> link

[gckmac]

I'm having difficulty turning a php variable into an a href link. 

 

I am trying to place it here ... above the echo <hr/>:

 

<?php

echo '<h1><a href="http://www.maine.info/festivals.php">Maine Events</a> - ' . $month . ' ' . $display_cat . ' </h1>';

echo '<hr />';

 

The variable is $display_cat  (where it could equal "festivals" "music" "theater" etc.)

 

I would like to make the following links (I will list 12 of them for all months):

 

$display_cat in <a href="http://www.maine.info/events/$display_cat/january.php">Jan</a>

etc for additional months

 

Thanks in advance!

gckmac

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikesta707]

<a href="http://www.maine.info/events/<? echo $display_cat; ?>/january.php">Jan</a>

 

That should work for what you need to do. Hope that helps

[gckmac]

It invokes the following invalid URL, a problem I've been having -

 

http://www.maine.info/events/%3C?%20echo%20$display_cat;%20?%3E/january.php

 

[thebadbad]

Use full PHP tags, or simply:

 

<?php
echo '<a href="http://www.maine.info/events/' . $display_cat . '/january.php">Jan</a>';
?>

[gckmac]

Thanks Mike and BadBad ... almost there ...

 

BadBad code is working ... but .. need to lower case the month invoked by display_cat ... for it improperly shows as:

 

http://www.maine.info/events/Festivals.january.php

 

Thoughts?  Thanks in advance.  You folks are great.

 

gckmac

[gckmac]

OK!  Fixed it with $display_cat=strtolower($display_cat);  Could not have done it without you guys.  See below ... (more months to add)

 

<?php

$display_cat = strtolower($display_cat);

echo '<p><font face="arial" size="1"><a href="http://www.maine.info/events/' . $display_cat . '/january.php">Jan</a> | ';

echo '<a href="http://www.maine.info/events/' . $display_cat . '/february.php">Feb</a></font>';

?>

 

[thebadbad]

Good. Let me show you a way to loop through the months, getting rid of the repetitive code:

 

<?php
$display_cat = strtolower($display_cat);
$months = array('January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September', 'October', 'November', 'December');
$links = array();
foreach ($months as $month) {
   $links[] = '<a href="http://www.maine.info/events/' . $display_cat . '/' . strtolower($month) . '.php">' . substr($month, 0, 3) . '</a>';
}
echo '<p><font face="arial" size="1">' . implode(' | ', $links) . '</font></p>';
?>

[gckmac]

I will try that looping code. Thank you.

 

My next issue is this:  The following code works, but when inserted where I want it breaks the php code below it:

 

I.e., code that works:

<?php

// $month = date("F") ;

$month = strtolower($month);

 

$month1 = ucfirst($month);

$janlinkclass = ($month1 == "January") ? "current" : "";

$feblinkclass = ($month1 == "February") ? "current" : "";

$marlinkclass = ($month1 == "March") ? "current" : "";

$aprlinkclass = ($month1 == "April") ? "current" : "";

$maylinkclass = ($month1 == "May") ? "current" : "";

$junlinkclass = ($month1 == "June") ? "current" : "";

$jullinkclass = ($month1 == "July") ? "current" : "";

$auglinkclass = ($month1 == "August") ? "current" : "";

$seplinkclass = ($month1 == "September") ? "current" : "";

$octlinkclass = ($month1 == "October") ? "current" : "";

$novlinkclass = ($month1 == "November") ? "current" : "";

$declinkclass = ($month1 == "December") ? "current" : "";

?>

 

<li>

<strong class ="head selected" >Event Control Panel</strong>

<ul>

<li>Events in:

<select id="scity" name="scity">

<option value="-1">Select City...</option>

<?php

$query = "select distinct(city) from maine_festivals where  city <> ''  and state = 'Maine' and (datediff(enddate, current_date) >= 0 or category = 'Festivals') order by city ";

 

$result = mysql_query($query, $link);

if (isset($month)) {

$cat1 = strtolower($cat);

} else {

$cat1 = "festivals";

}

while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {

extract($row);

echo "<option value = '$city'";

if ($city == $gcity) echo " selected ";

echo ">$city</option>\n" ;

}

?>

 

</select>

</li>

 

CODE THAT BREAKS WHEN ABOVE IS INSERTED:

<?php

echo '<hr />';

 

//$startcat = "";

while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {

extract($row);

 

$startdate1_part = substr($startdate1, 0, strlen($startdate1) - 6);

$date = ($startdate1 == $enddate1)? $startdate1: $startdate1_part . "  thru " . $enddate1;   

 

if ($expireddays >= 0) {

$mapurl = '   <a href = "http://www.maine.info/sandbox/maps/map2.php?type=000000001&zoom=13&city=' . $city . '"> Map + Directions</a>    ';

$parastyle = "";

} else {

$mapurl = "" ;

$parastyle = "expired";

}

 

if ($city == "") {

$city = "Multiple Locations";

$mapurl = "" ;

}

 

if ($username == ADMIN || $username == $author) {

$editlink = "  |  <a href = 'http://www.maine.info/users/editevent.php?id=$id'>Edit</a>";

} else {

$editlink = "";

}

 

$no_title = str_replace(" ", "", $title);

$no_title = str_replace("'", "", $no_title);

echo "<a name = '$no_title' ></a>";

if (strlen($linkurl) > 5) {

echo "<h2  class = '$parastyle'><a href = '$linkurl' class = '$parastyle' >$title</a> ";

} else {

echo "<h2 class = '$parastyle'>" . $title;

}

 

echo <<<ENT

</h2>

<p class = "$parastyle"><font face="arial" size="2">

<strong>$date. $city.</strong>

$description $mapurl

  

<!--

<a href = "http://www.maine.info/users/reporterror.php?id=$id&type=event">Report  Update</a>

-->

$editlink

 

</p></font>

 

ENT;

}

?>

</div>

 

Any Thoughts?

Thanks!

gckmac

[thebadbad]

What do you mean 'breaks'? Getting any errors? If yes, show 'em, else describe how it's breaking.

[gckmac]

Firstly - the month array works great.  (Now I've got to figure out how it does it

 

Next, in terms of the breakage.  Yes, when I insert the noted code, it displays the intended function (drop down list of cities), but then the stuff below it no longer displays.  Just blank.

 

For what it should look when working, see www.maine.info/cities/freeport/events.php

 

To view it broken (temporarily), see http://www.maine.info/events/festivals/april.php

 

gckmac

[gckmac]

Aside - The month array is helpful, but it leaves the current month as December (the last one on the list), so that causes a bit of a problem.

[gckmac]

I think the issue causing breakage (nothing displays after /select) may be that <select> and </select> are not within <php> commands.  But I don't know how to resolve this.

 

gckmac

[thebadbad]

Can you post the full script that's not working?

[gckmac]

Thanks thebadbad.  I dealt with it by putting the offending code in another <div>.  Better placement anyway.  Thank you again.  Would like to keep in touch so send your email or AIM address if you will.

 

gckmac