|
Random Content with SSI
Introduction
This guide will explain one simple method for displaying random content on a web page using SSI.
The most obvious way to do this is to make use of SSI's ability to configure
the time format.
By using the code <!--#config timefmt="%S" --> we can configure
the time to seconds and include the content based on that second the page is called. In other words
whatever second the page is called a certain file is included.
This example should explain it better:
<!--#config timefmt="%S" -->
<!--#set var="rand" value="$DATE_LOCAL" -->
<!--#if expr="$rand = /00/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_0.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /01/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_1.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /02/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_2.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /03/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_3.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /04/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_4.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /05/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_5.txt" -->
<!--#else -->
<!--#include virtual="fall_back_content.txt" -->
<!--#endif -->
What this basically does is format the time to seconds and then includes the contents
based on the second the page is requested. This is obviously a shortened
example, I only coded it for the first 6 seconds but you could code it for the full 60 seconds
or alternatively you could base it on the second digit only by replacing the first digit
with a 'period' such as:
<!--#config timefmt="%S" -->
<!--#set var="rand" value="$DATE_LOCAL" -->
<!--#if expr="$rand = /.0/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_0.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /.1/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_1.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /.2/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_2.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /.3/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_3.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /.4/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_4.txt" -->
<!--#elif expr="$rand = /.5/" -->
<!--#include virtual="rand_content_5.txt" -->
.
.
.
<!--#else -->
<!--#include virtual="fall_back_content.txt" -->
<!--#endif -->
In this case you only need to code the expressions up to .9 seconds.
This is not exactly 'random' but the best we can do!
|
