Programming Forums > Web Development and Design > PHP

grimpirate · Sep 14th, 2005, 11:21 PM

Well technically this little php snippet doesn't generate random quotes, that would just be weird

However, it does select a quote randomly from a user generated quote database.

<?php
	function quote_generate()
	{
		$quote = array("An apple a day keeps the doctor away.",
		"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.");

		return($quote[rand(0, count($quote) - 1)]);
	}

	echo quote_generate();
?>

Simple and effective methinks. To add your own quotes just enclose the string in " " and separate each of them by commas. I use a similar variant of the script on my site to have random quotes pop up in the news page when people visit the site.

coldDeath · Sep 15th, 2005, 1:06 AM

Good, this could be quite cool on a website, i think i have seen something like it before.
If you are working on a project with documentation, whenever someone loads the homepage it could select a "Tip of the Day".

Pizentios · Sep 15th, 2005, 9:12 AM

heh, it's just like fortune in linux!

Ooble · Sep 15th, 2005, 12:31 PM

If you store the quotes in a file, separated by line breaks, you can load them like this:
[php]$quotes = file('quotes.txt');[/php]
Easy, no?

tempest · Sep 23rd, 2005, 7:00 PM

An even quicker way of sorting random quotes from a file could be...

[php]
printf("The quote of the day is: <b>%s</b>\n", array_pop(shuffle(file("quotes.txt"))));
[/php]

grimpirate · Sep 24th, 2005, 12:36 AM

Isn't it faster (memory access wise) to have the quotes inside the function as I had it in the original post? Rather than storing them in a separate file? I fail to see the benefits. Perhaps something to do with editing them?

linuxpimp20 · Sep 24th, 2005, 1:30 AM

couldn't you create a database with MySQL with the quotes and hav eone column be a unique id numer and then just use PHP to generate a random number and then query the quote that unique id numer matches the quote? Hell i imagine it wouldn't much too much more trouble to have another php script that allowed the user to make the quotes to populate the database with so it would randomly generate user defined quotes instead of having to insert the quotes into the code.

raspberryh · Sep 24th, 2005, 1:50 AM

linuxpimp, that sounds cool, but what if the user wants to delete a quote? then say they delete quote with id 3, and then the code randomly generates a 3, then when you do your "select * from quotes where id=3" you will get no result.
but i think instead, you could generate a random # between 0 and the total # of quotes. then do "select * from quotes limit [random#], 1" so it picks the [random#]-th one.

linuxpimp20 · Sep 24th, 2005, 2:35 AM

that is true. I did not think of that.

Im just getting into php programming so only read a little about php and mysql.

coldDeath · Sep 24th, 2005, 2:40 AM

It's good to try and find out where errors could possibly occur, and try to make your program bugless.

Sep 14th, 2005, 11:21 PM	#1
grimpirate King of Portal Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 403 Rep Power: 3	PHP random quote generator script Well technically this little php snippet doesn't generate random quotes, that would just be weird However, it does select a quote randomly from a user generated quote database. (Toggle Plain Text) <?php function quote_generate() { $quote = array("An apple a day keeps the doctor away.", "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."); return($quote[rand(0, count($quote) - 1)]); } echo quote_generate(); ?> <?php function quote_generate() { $quote = array("An apple a day keeps the doctor away.", "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."); return($quote[rand(0, count($quote) - 1)]); } echo quote_generate(); ?> Simple and effective methinks. To add your own quotes just enclose the string in " " and separate each of them by commas. I use a similar variant of the script on my site to have random quotes pop up in the news page when people visit the site. __________________ Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers. 'Lo, there do I see The line of my people... Back to the beginning. 'Lo, they do call to me. They bid me take my place among them. In the halls of Valhalla... Where the brave... May live... ...forever.. GrimBB \| Mimesis

Sep 15th, 2005, 1:06 AM	#2
coldDeath Expert Programmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: UK Posts: 862 Rep Power: 3	Good, this could be quite cool on a website, i think i have seen something like it before. If you are working on a project with documentation, whenever someone loads the homepage it could select a "Tip of the Day". __________________ Programming Tutorials - Linux Installation Guide - Learn Python - Learn C++ Got Slack? Join us at #programmingforums @ irc.freenode.net! My software never has bugs. It just develops random features.

Sep 15th, 2005, 9:12 AM	#3
Pizentios Programming Guru Join Date: May 2004 Location: Brandon, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 2,023 Rep Power: 7	heh, it's just like fortune in linux! __________________ Profanity is the one language that all programmers understand. Check out my Blog <---updated Nov 30 2007!

Sep 15th, 2005, 12:31 PM	#4
Ooble I eat cake for breakfast. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In my box. Posts: 4,434 Rep Power: 9	If you store the quotes in a file, separated by line breaks, you can load them like this: [php]$quotes = file('quotes.txt');[/php] Easy, no? __________________ Me :: You :: Them

Sep 23rd, 2005, 7:00 PM	#5
tempest Programming Guru Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,041 Rep Power: 5	An even quicker way of sorting random quotes from a file could be... [php] printf("The quote of the day is: <b>%s</b>\n", array_pop(shuffle(file("quotes.txt")))); [/php] __________________

Sep 24th, 2005, 12:36 AM	#6
grimpirate King of Portal Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 403 Rep Power: 3	Isn't it faster (memory access wise) to have the quotes inside the function as I had it in the original post? Rather than storing them in a separate file? I fail to see the benefits. Perhaps something to do with editing them? __________________ Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers. 'Lo, there do I see The line of my people... Back to the beginning. 'Lo, they do call to me. They bid me take my place among them. In the halls of Valhalla... Where the brave... May live... ...forever.. GrimBB \| Mimesis

Sep 24th, 2005, 1:30 AM	#7
linuxpimp20 Hobbyist Programmer Join Date: May 2005 Location: ma Posts: 130 Rep Power: 4	couldn't you create a database with MySQL with the quotes and hav eone column be a unique id numer and then just use PHP to generate a random number and then query the quote that unique id numer matches the quote? Hell i imagine it wouldn't much too much more trouble to have another php script that allowed the user to make the quotes to populate the database with so it would randomly generate user defined quotes instead of having to insert the quotes into the code.

Sep 24th, 2005, 1:50 AM	#8
raspberryh Newbie Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	linuxpimp, that sounds cool, but what if the user wants to delete a quote? then say they delete quote with id 3, and then the code randomly generates a 3, then when you do your "select * from quotes where id=3" you will get no result. but i think instead, you could generate a random # between 0 and the total # of quotes. then do "select * from quotes limit [random#], 1" so it picks the [random#]-th one.

Sep 24th, 2005, 2:35 AM	#9
linuxpimp20 Hobbyist Programmer Join Date: May 2005 Location: ma Posts: 130 Rep Power: 4	that is true. I did not think of that. Im just getting into php programming so only read a little about php and mysql.

Sep 24th, 2005, 2:40 AM	#10
coldDeath Expert Programmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: UK Posts: 862 Rep Power: 3	It's good to try and find out where errors could possibly occur, and try to make your program bugless. __________________ Programming Tutorials - Linux Installation Guide - Learn Python - Learn C++ Got Slack? Join us at #programmingforums @ irc.freenode.net! My software never has bugs. It just develops random features.

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Programming Forums > Web Development and Design > PHP

PHP random quote generator script