PHP question

On one of my sites I use
<? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?> to forward
people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page. Now is there a way to
make it randomly pick a file to send to?

Like
<?
$num = $rand(1,3)
header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?>
Where $rand would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index page?

Viper

Viper wrote:

> On one of my sites I use
> <? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?> to
> forward people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page. Now is
> there a way to make it randomly pick a file to send to?
>
> Like
> <?
> $num = $rand(1,3)
> header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?>
> Where $rand would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index page?

Yes.

http://www.php.net/rand

"int rand ( [int min, int max])

If called without the optional min, max arguments rand() returns a
pseudo-random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX. If you want a random
number between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand (5, 15)."

--
Chris Hope - The Electric Toolbox - http://www.electrictoolbox.com/

Chris Hope

Chris Hope wrote:
> Viper wrote:
>
>> On one of my sites I use
>> <? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?> to
>> forward people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page. Now is
>> there a way to make it randomly pick a file to send to?
>>
>> Like
>> <?
>> $num = $rand(1,3)
>> header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?>
>> Where $rand would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index
>> page?
>
> Yes.
>
> http://www.php.net/rand
>
> "int rand ( [int min, int max])
>
> If called without the optional min, max arguments rand() returns a
> pseudo-random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX. If you want a random
> number between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand (5, 15)."

Thanks that helped a bit.
This works:

<?
$newpage = "http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index".rand(1,3).".php";
header("location: $newpage")

;?>

Viper

Viper wrote:

> Chris Hope wrote:
>> Viper wrote:
>>
>>> On one of my sites I use
>>> <? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?> to
>>> forward people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page. Now
>>> is there a way to make it randomly pick a file to send to?
>>>
>>> Like
>>> <?
>>> $num = $rand(1,3)
>>> header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?>
>>> Where $rand would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index
>>> page?
>>
>> Yes.
>>
>> http://www.php.net/rand
>>
>> "int rand ( [int min, int max])
>>
>> If called without the optional min, max arguments rand() returns a
>> pseudo-random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX. If you want a random
>> number between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand (5, 15)."
>
> Thanks that helped a bit.
> This works:
>
> <?
> $newpage = "http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index".rand(1,3).".php";
> header("location: $newpage")
>
> ;?>

You could also do something like this, although there's a little more
overhead involved as it has to initiate the array and use memory:

$pages = array(
"somepage.php",
"anotherpage.php",
"someotherpage.php"
...
);

$rand = rand(0, sizeof($pages)-1);

$newpage = "http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/" . $pages[$rand];
header("location: $newpage");
exit;

--
Chris Hope - The Electric Toolbox - http://www.electrictoolbox.com/

Chris Hope

Viper wrote:

> Chris Hope wrote:
>> Viper wrote:
>>
>>> On one of my sites I use
>>> <? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?> to
>>> forward people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page. Now is
>>> there a way to make it randomly pick a file to send to?
>>>
>>> Like
>>> <?
>>> $num = $rand(1,3)
>>> header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?>
>>> Where $rand would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index
>>> page?
>>
>> Yes.
>>
>> http://www.php.net/rand
>>
>> "int rand ( [int min, int max])
>>
>> If called without the optional min, max arguments rand() returns a
>> pseudo-random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX. If you want a random
>> number between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand (5, 15)."
>
> Thanks that helped a bit.
> This works:
>
> <?
> $newpage = "http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index".rand(1,3).".php";
> header("location: $newpage")
>
> ;?>

Well done that man! Looks neat.

--
Charles Sweeney
http://CharlesSweeney.com

Charles Sweeney

Charles Sweeney wrote:
> Viper wrote:
>
>> Chris Hope wrote:
>>> Viper wrote:
>>>
>>>> On one of my sites I use
>>>> <? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?>
>>>> to forward people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page.
>>>> Now is there a way to make it randomly pick a file to send to?
>>>>
>>>> Like
>>>> <?
>>>> $num = $rand(1,3)
>>>> header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?>
>>>> Where $rand would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index
>>>> page?
>>>
>>> Yes.
>>>
>>> http://www.php.net/rand
>>>
>>> "int rand ( [int min, int max])
>>>
>>> If called without the optional min, max arguments rand() returns a
>>> pseudo-random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX. If you want a random
>>> number between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand (5, 15)."
>>
>> Thanks that helped a bit.
>> This works:
>>
>> <?
>> $newpage = "http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index".rand(1,3).".php";
>> header("location: $newpage")
>>
>> ;?>
>
> Well done that man! Looks neat.

Thanks but now I have to wonder how search engines will handle it. See what
I am planning to do is take all the domains I own that have no pages on them
and make up "portal" pages using PPC Search engines. I want it to show a
different portal page that has a different set of PPC Search engines links
on it each time they visit. But will Google, etc even list these pages?

Viper

Viper wrote:

> Charles Sweeney wrote:
>> Viper wrote:
>>
>>> Chris Hope wrote:
>>>> Viper wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On one of my sites I use
>>>>> <? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?>
>>>>> to forward people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page.
>>>>> Now is there a way to make it randomly pick a file to send to?
>>>>>
>>>>> Like
>>>>> <?
>>>>> $num = $rand(1,3)
>>>>> header("location:
>>>>> http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?> Where $rand
>>>>> would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index page?
>>>>
>>>> Yes.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.php.net/rand
>>>>
>>>> "int rand ( [int min, int max])
>>>>
>>>> If called without the optional min, max arguments rand() returns a
>>>> pseudo-random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX. If you want a random
>>>> number between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand (5,
>>>> 15)."
>>>
>>> Thanks that helped a bit.
>>> This works:
>>>
>>> <?
>>> $newpage = "http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index".rand(1,3).".php";
>>> header("location: $newpage")
>>>
>>> ;?>
>>
>> Well done that man! Looks neat.
>
> Thanks but now I have to wonder how search engines will handle it. See
> what I am planning to do is take all the domains I own that have no
> pages on them and make up "portal" pages using PPC Search engines. I
> want it to show a different portal page that has a different set of
> PPC Search engines links on it each time they visit. But will Google,
> etc even list these pages?

As I understand it, when using a redirection, Google will index the page
it gets sent to, but drop the sending page.

--
Charles Sweeney
http://CharlesSweeney.com

Charles Sweeney

"Charles Sweeney" <> wrote in message
news:Xns95C16A020C173mecharlessweeneycom@130.133.1 .4...
> Viper wrote:
>
>> Charles Sweeney wrote:
>>> Well done that man! Looks neat.
>>
>> Thanks but now I have to wonder how search engines will handle it. See
>> what I am planning to do is take all the domains I own that have no
>> pages on them and make up "portal" pages using PPC Search engines. I
>> want it to show a different portal page that has a different set of
>> PPC Search engines links on it each time they visit. But will Google,
>> etc even list these pages?
>
> As I understand it, when using a redirection, Google will index the page
> it gets sent to, but drop the sending page.
>


AFAIK that's only if Google knows it is a redirection - i.e. if you're
sending the proper headers while redirecting.
Would googlebot know if Viper's site is redirecting it?


--
-Karl Core
Please Support "Project Boneyard":
http://www.insurgence.net/info.aspx?...&item=boneyard

Karl Core

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 08:55:40 -0500, Karl Core wrote:

> AFAIK that's only if Google knows it is a redirection - i.e. if you're
> sending the proper headers while redirecting.
> Would googlebot know if Viper's site is redirecting it?

Probably. PHP is pretty decent about complying with header standards.

--
Jeffrey D. Silverman |
Website | http://www.newtnotes.com

Drop "PANTS" to reply by email

Jeffrey Silverman

Viper wrote:
> Charles Sweeney wrote:
>
>>Viper wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Chris Hope wrote:
>>>
>>>>Viper wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>On one of my sites I use
>>>>><? header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index.php");?>
>>>>>to forward people that goto http://www.MYDOMAIN.com to that page.
>>>>>Now is there a way to make it randomly pick a file to send to?
>>>>>
>>>>>Like
>>>>><?
>>>>>$num = $rand(1,3)
>>>>>header("location: http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index$rand.php");?>
>>>>>Where $rand would pick 1 2 or 3 then send the user to that index
>>>>>page?
>>>>
>>>>Yes.
>>>>
>>>>http://www.php.net/rand
>>>>
>>>>"int rand ( [int min, int max])
>>>>
>>>>If called without the optional min, max arguments rand() returns a
>>>>pseudo-random integer between 0 and RAND_MAX. If you want a random
>>>>number between 5 and 15 (inclusive), for example, use rand (5, 15)."
>>>
>>>Thanks that helped a bit.
>>>This works:
>>>
>>><?
>>>$newpage = "http://www.MYDOMAIN.com/pages/index".rand(1,3).".php";
>>>header("location: $newpage")
>>>
>>>;?>
>>
>>Well done that man! Looks neat.
>
> Thanks but now I have to wonder how search engines will handle it. See what
> I am planning to do is take all the domains I own that have no pages on them
> and make up "portal" pages using PPC Search engines. I want it to show a
> different portal page that has a different set of PPC Search engines links
> on it each time they visit. But will Google, etc even list these pages?

Depending on how your files are set up, instead of doing a redirect with
headers, you could use an include or an fpassthru call. That way, the
content is displayed without a redirect...

--
Justin Koivisto -
http://www.koivi.com

Justin Koivisto