Limit characters in php

[Kaboom]

Okay so as you can see here:

 

http://www.stephanddarryn.com/blog/2010/animals/index.php

 

The description doesnt have a character limit, i need it to show only 300 characters bfore it puts... then cut the rest of the desctiption off so they have to view the whole thing to see the whole thing. How would I do this? I need character limit at 300 then if its over that put ... and cut the rest out and then that's it if its lower don't add the ...

[oni-kun]

Okay so as you can see here:

 

http://www.stephanddarryn.com/blog/2010/animals/index.php

 

The description doesnt have a character limit, i need it to show only 300 characters bfore it puts... then cut the rest of the desctiption off so they have to view the whole thing to see the whole thing. How would I do this? I need character limit at 300 then if its over that put ... and cut the rest out and then that's it if its lower don't add the ...

 

This should do the job more or less:

$string = "Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla";

function shorten($string, $length) {
if (strlen($string) > $length) {
	$string = substr($string, 0, $length)."...";
}
return $string;
}

$shortdesc = shorten($string, 300);
echo "$shortdesc"; //Outputs something 300 characters then ...

 

EDIT: I'd recommend you look at strlen and substr they're handy string functions, if you know how to use them.

[Kaboom]

It didnt work :'( Now it doesnt show them at all... hold on ill try something else

[oni-kun]

It didnt work :'( Now it doesnt show them at all... hold on ill try something else

 

How does it not work? If you look at a sample of the code:

$string = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyxz'; //long string
//[snip]//
$shortdesc = shorten($string, 5);

 

It'll output exactly: 'abcde...'

 

How are you implementing it?

[Kaboom]

The way it work is it connects

        $posts = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM databasenamehere ORDER BY id", $db_id); 

 

then prints utput as:

$x = 1;

while ( $blogpost = mysql_fetch_array( $posts ) ) {
    if ( $x != 1 ) {
        echo "<hr>";
    }

    echo "<img src=\"http://www.elegantthemes.com/preview/eNews/wp-content/themes/eNews/timthumb.php?src=http://www.elegantthemes.com/images/sharedthumbs/8.jpg&h=74&w=73&zc=1\" alt=\"Animals\" width=\"73px\" height=\"74px\" />
						<h2><a href=\"article.php?id=$blogpost[id]\">$blogpost[subject]</a></h2>

						<p class=\"info\"><em>author</em>: $blogpost[poster]</p>
<p>$blogpost[content]</p>";
    $x++;
} 

 

$blogpost[content] is the one that displays the content of the post or description

 

so i need to limit $blogpost[content] but when i set $string = blogpost[content]; then it makes it display nothing and wierd. it set to load content from every post rather then have certain defined content and array all the posts onto that page. I also need to make is so when it hits 50 posts a page it adds buttons for pages at bottom like:

 

<< < Page [1] 2 3 4 ... of 7 > >>

 

thanks for what you've gave me but it's not working for this. When i managed to implement it it didnt show the post with under 300 at all