@included navigation... Setting one active?

Aaron · 02-29-2008, 10:59 PM

How would you set one element of a list to active depending on the navigation?

so the navigation is:
<ul>
<li id="active"><a href="index.htm">Index</a></li>
<li><a href="whatsnew.htm">Whats New</a></li>
<li><a href="about.htm">About</a></li>
<li><a href="why.htm">Why</a></li>
<li><a href="hours.htm">Hours</a></li>
<li><a href="services.htm">Services</a></li>
<li><a href="contact.htm">Contact Us</a></li>
<li><a href="newsletter.htm">Latest News</a></li>
</ul>

Well if I was on whatsnew.htm, how would I make it active?

Alan @ CIT · 02-29-2008, 11:06 PM

Assuming you are using PHP for this, I would do something like:

PHP Code:


			
<ul>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'index' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><><a href="index.htm">Index</a></li>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'whats-new' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><a href="whatsnew.htm">Whats New</a></li>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'about' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><><a href="about.htm">About</a></li>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'why' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><><a href="why.htm">Why</a></li>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'hours' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><><a href="hours.htm">Hours</a></li>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'services' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><><a href="services.htm">Services</a></li>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'contact-us' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><><a href="contact.htm">Contact Us</a></li>

<li <?php echo ($active == 'latest-news' ? 'id="active"' : ''); ?>><><a href="newsletter.htm">Latest News</a></li>

</ul>

Then just set the $active variable at the top of each page.

If you're not using PHP to do this, then I'm afraid I have no idea - could probably do something fancy in javascript to do it.

Alan

Aaron · 02-29-2008, 11:54 PM

You gotta explain that code to me... I didn't even know echo... had parentheses.

Alan @ CIT · 03-01-2008, 12:03 AM

It's a condensed version of an if() statement

PHP Code:


			
$myVar = 'blah';



// Writing:

echo ($myVar == 'blah' ? 'Yes!' : 'No!');



// Is exactly the same as writing:

if ($myVar == 'blah'

{

    echo 'Yes!';

}

else

{

    echo 'No!';

}

Basicly, PHP will see it as "if the variable $active equals 'whatever' then echo 'id="active"', otherwise echo nothing".

So in theory, it will only echo 'id="active"' for the active page, the other checks will echo nothing.

Alan

Aaron · 03-01-2008, 02:52 AM

Thanks, this code is amazing, and it solves a problem I have had for a while.

Wildhoney · 03-01-2008, 03:23 AM

Slightly unrelated, but I cannot wait for PHP 5.3's adaptation of the ternary operator. Currently you have to do like the following:

php Code:

$myVar = isset($_GET['myVar']) ? $_GET['myVar'] : 'Unset';

Whereas in PHP 5.3 you will be able to do:

php Code:

$myVar = isset($_GET['myVar']) ?: 'Unset';

I don't know why because it's so simple, but I am really looking forward to that! Maybe more so than namespaces

!

Salathe · 03-02-2008, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildhoney

php Code:

$myVar = isset($_GET['myVar']) ?: 'Unset';

Correct me if I'm wrong, but your snippet (if $_GET['myVar'] does exist) would assign TRUE to $myVar. My understanding would be that the shortcut you provided would basically be (in more normal use): $myVar = isset($_GET['myVar']) ? isset($_GET['myVar']) : 'Unset';

Maybe I've been reading the mailing list messages incorrectly (or the wrong list!).

Alan @ CIT · 03-01-2008, 09:53 AM

I saw a line about the ?: operator on the 5.3 changelog but never got around to invstigating further. Looks very handy and the less typing I have to do, the happier I am

Alan

Aaron · 03-01-2008, 02:11 PM

Is there any way to set $active to the page? like with that funny server array?

TlcAndres · 03-01-2008, 02:27 PM

If by the page you mean something like navigating to index.php?page=doodles then it's a simple matter of setting active to the $_GET['page'] variable.

Aaron · 03-01-2008, 03:31 PM

I was looking for

PHP Code:


			
$active = "$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']"

BUUUT, I still need to figure out how to change
/<snip>/<snip>/httpdocs/index.php
into index.php

DeMo · 03-01-2008, 07:21 PM

Use the basename function, it strips everything but the filename.

PHP Code:


			
$path = "/home/httpd/html/index.php";

echo basename($path); // will show just "index.php";

Wildhoney · 03-02-2008, 01:28 AM

They may use that approach:

php Code:

$myVar = $_GET['myVar'] ?: 'Unset';

But that raises the question of whether or not PHP should throw an undefined error in that instance, as we're not safely asking PHP if it is set. I would assume it would throw an error because I would expect it to act exactly like it would in an if statement:

php Code:

if($_GET['bleh'])
{
    
}

If PHP decide not to throw an undefined error in the ternary, then surely questions arise as to them not being constant across the board. Although an isset would, in theory, return true in that instance, I see PHP as actually using that approach because there's no first argument any more to actually specify the value, both checking and assigning are done at once.