A List Apart (ALA) script tip implementation

[qasabah]

I successfully implemented my first php script (I say mine but I just copied the example one). I was pretty pleased about the results too.

Then, as you do, I read through the comments and saw a comment about inserting a caption.

Unfortunately all the caption modification did was prove 2 things to me:

1. that I know absolutely nothing about php

2. that copying something in real life is the same as copying something in school ie. you don't really learn anything.

Consequently I'm hoping that someone can let me look over their metaphorical shoulder and copy where to put these statements in the script.

The script

The caption script mod suggestion

On the other hand please feel free to put on your best teacher voice and tell me that I should stop copying and figure it out for myself.

[markl999]

Well I had a quick glance and here's my best guess.
In your images ini file add a caption property to the images, for example:

[FOO]
  src   = img/foo.jpg
  alt   = Foo Image
  url   = http://foobar.com/
  title = Some Foo
  caption = Foo Caption Here

Then in the rotator script you should be able to add this code where you want the caption to appear, for the example below I've added it onto the end of the script:

# if an url was specified, output the closing A HREF tag
    if ( $images[$img]['url'] ) {
      echo('</a>');
    }
    //THIS IS THE NEW CODE
    if(isset($images[$img]['caption'])) {
        echo '<p>'.$images[$img]['caption'].'</p>';
    }
  }


?> 

[qasabah]

That worked a treat. Thanks.

Of course that now leads to another question... how do I make the caption a link also?

[markl999]

Add caption_link = http://caplink.com to the .ini file for each image. Then the code to:

# if an url was specified, output the closing A HREF tag
    if ( $images[$img]['url'] ) {
      echo('</a>');
    }
    //THIS IS THE NEW CODE WITH LINKED CAPTIONS
    if(isset($images[$img]['caption'])) {
        if(isset($images[$img]['caption_link']))
           echo '<p><a href='.$images[$img]['caption_link'].'">'.$images[$img]['caption'].'</a></p>';
        else
           echo '<p>'.$images[$img]['caption'].'</p>';
    }
  }
?> 

That should also give you the option of not linking some captions if you want, if you don't want one to be a link just leave the caption_link out of it's ini setting.

[qasabah]

Excellent stuff.

I think that there is an extra pair of speech marks in the code for the link.

echo '<p><a href='.$images[$img]['caption_link'].'"> but maybe it isn't.

[markl999]

Actually, I missed one off:
<a href='

Should be:
<a href="'