coffee2code

Extended Description

<?php echo c2c_random_file('/random'); ?>

Installation

Template Tags

The plugin provides two optional template tag for use in your theme templates.

Functions

• <?php function c2c_random_file( $dir, $extensions = '', $reftype = 'relative', $exclusions = array() ) ?>
  This retrieves the name of a random file from a specified directory and returns information based on the file according to the $reftype value.

• <?php function c2c_random_files( $number, $dir, $extensions = '', $reftype = 'relative', $exclusions = array() ) ?>
  This retrieves the name, path, or link to a specified number of randomly chosen files in a specified directory. All but the $number argument are passed along in calls to c2c_random_file().

Arguments

• $number (only for c2c_random_files())
  The number of random files to select from the specified directory. If less files are present in the specified directory, then all files in the directory will be returned (but will be listed in random order).

• $dir
  The directory to search for a random file. The directory must exist at the directory structure level of your WordPress installation or below. (i.e., if your site is installed on your server at /usr/local/htdocs/yoursite/www/journal/, then the directory of random files you specified will assume that as its base… so a value of 'randomfiles' would be assumed to actually be: /usr/local/htdocs/yoursite/www/journal/randomfiles/)

• $extensions
  Optional argument. A space-separated list of extensions (case insensitive), i.e. ‘jpg gif png jpeg’.

• $reftype
  Optional argument. Can be one of the following: ‘relative’ (which is the default), ‘absolute’, ‘url’, ‘filename’, ‘hyperlink’. See Examples section for more details and examples.

• $exclusions
  Optional argument. If specified, MUST be an array of filenames to exclude from consideration as a random file.

Examples

• The reference to the randomly selected file can be returned in one of five ways:
  [Assume your WordPress installation is at www.yoursite.org/journal/ and you've invoked c2c_random_file('random/', 'txt', $reftype)]

  $reftype = ‘relative’

  => A location relative to the primary domain:

  /journal/random/randomfile.txt

  [This is the default setting as it is the most applicable. Relative referencing is necessary if the random file is to be used as an argument to include() or virtual(). It's also a valid way to reference a file for A HREF= and IMG SRC= linking.]

  $reftype = 'absolute'

  => An absolute location relative to the root of the server’s file system:

  /usr/local/htdocs/yoursite/www/journal/random/randomfile.txt

  $reftype = ‘url’

  => The URL of the random file:

  www.yoursite.org/journal/random/randomfile.txt

  [If you desire the use of full URL, such as for a A HREF= or IMG SRC= link.]

  $reftype = ‘filename’

  => The filename of the random file:

  randomefile.txt

  $reftype = ‘hyperlink’

  => The filename of the random file hyperlinked to that random file:

  <a href='http://yoursite.org/journal/random/randomfile.txt' title='randomfile.txt'>randomfile.txt</a>

• Include random logo or image on your site:

  <img alt="logo" class="logo" src="<?php echo c2c_random_file('/wp-content/images/logos/'); ?>" />

• Insert text from a random file (i.e. for random multi-line quotes) (Apache web-server only, probably):

  `

* If you wanted to source a random .php file:

`

• List 5 random files:

  <ul>
<?php
$random_files = c2c_random_files( 5, 'wp-content/files' );
foreach ( $random_files as $f ) {
echo "<li>$f</li>";
}
?>
</ul>

Filters

The plugin exposes two filters for hooking. Typically, customizations utilizing these hooks would be put into your active theme’s functions.php file, or used by another plugin.

c2c_random_file (filter)

The ‘c2c_random_file’ hook allows you to use an alternative approach to safely invoke c2c_random_file() in such a way that if the plugin were deactivated or deleted, then your calls to the function won’t cause errors in your site.

Arguments:

• same as for c2c_random_file()

Example:

Instead of:

<?php $file = c2c_random_file( 'wp-content/randomfiles' ); ?>

Do:

<?php $file = apply_filters( 'c2c_random_file', 'wp-content/randomfiles' ); ?>

c2c_random_files (filter)

The ‘c2c_random_files’ hook allows you to use an alternative approach to safely invoke c2c_random_files() in such a way that if the plugin were deactivated or deleted, then your calls to the function won’t cause errors in your site.

Arguments:

• same as for c2c_random_files()

Example:

Instead of:

<?php $files = c2c_random_files( 5, 'wp-content/randomfiles' ); ?>

Do:

<?php $files = apply_filters( 'c2c_random_files', 5, 'wp-content/randomfiles' ); ?>

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does this plugin do dynamic random rotation within a loaded page (i.e. randomly rotating images within a loaded page)?
A. No. This plugin only selects a random file when the page is loaded. Once loaded, it does not currently add any dynamic functionality to automatically retrieve another random file on its own.

Release Log

1.6.2

• Note compatibility through WP 3.3+
• Add link to plugin directory page to readme.txt
• Add Upgrade Notice section to readme.txt
• Update copyright date (2012)

1.6.1

• Note compatibility through WP 3.2+
• Minor code formatting changes (spacing)
• Minor readme.txt formatting changes
• Add plugin homepage and author links in description in readme.txt
• Update copyright date (2011)

1.6

• Add c2c_random_files() to retrieve array of random unique files
• Add hooks ‘c2c_random_file’ (filter) and ‘c2c_random_files’ (filter) to respond to the function of the same name so that users can use the apply_filters() notation for invoking template tags
• Use get_option() instead of deprecated get_settings()
• Wrap functions in if(!function_exists()) check
• Remove docs from top of plugin file (all that and more are in readme.txt)
• Tweak description
• Note compatibility with WP 3.0+
• Minor tweaks to code formatting (spacing)
• Add Filters and Upgrade Notice sections to readme.txt
• Remove trailing whitespace

1.5.2

• Add PHPDoc documentation
• Note compatibility with WP 2.9+
• Update copyright date
• Update readme.txt

1.5.1

• Fixed: missing ‘/’ in path construction for reftype ‘absolute’

1.5

• Added new reftype of ‘hyperlink’ to return the filename of the random file hyperlinked to that file
• Added error checking to avoid error when referenced directory does not exist
• Added error checking for when there is an error opening a directory
• Explicit handling of reftype ‘absolute’ in the code was actually supposed to be ‘serverabsolute’
• Minor code tweaks
• Tweaked installation instructions
• Added readme.txt
• Noted and tested compatibility with WP 2.3.3 through 2.8

1.0

• Renamed function from random_file() to c2c_random_file()
• Added new reftype of ‘filename’
• Added optional array argument $exceptions for files not to be considered in random file selection
• Updated license and examples
• Verified that plugin works in WP 1.5 (and still works in WP 1.2)

0.9

• Initial release

Copyright & Disclaimer