Countdown block

CodyG · Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 6:43 pm

I'd like to use something like this in a block.

I've tried every which way I can think of to get the output into a $content var. I've even tried using wheredoc syntax.

Basically, all it is is a function? So, how would these echos be put into a $content var?

Code:

countdown(2008,12,14,12,0);

function countdown($year, $month, $day, $hour, $minute)
{

// make a unix timestamp for the given date
$the_countdown_date = mktime($hour, $minute, 0, $month, $day, $year, -1);

// get current unix timestamp
$today = time();

$difference = $the_countdown_date - $today;
if ($difference < 0) $difference = 0;

$days_left = floor($difference/60/60/24);
$hours_left = floor(($difference - $days_left*60*60*24)/60/60);
$minutes_left = floor(($difference - $days_left*60*60*24 - $hours_left*60*60)/60);

// OUTPUT

echo "Today's date ".date("F j, Y, g:i a")." ";
echo " ".date("F j, Y, g:i a",$the_countdown_date)." ";
echo " ".$days_left." days ".$hours_left." hrs ".$minutes_left." mins";
}

jakec · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:57 am

Try commenting out the echo's and add the $content outside of the function. For instance the first echo would be:

Code:

$content .= "Today's date ".date("F j, Y, g:i a")." ";

jakec · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:58 am

Oh yeah obviously paste the code into the Sample Block.

CodyG · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 8:46 am

That was the first thing I tried. But I'll try it again.

Code:

<?php

if ( !defined('BLOCK_FILE') ) {
Header("Location: ../index.php");
die();
}

//--------------------------
// author: Louai Munajim
// website:

Only registered users can see links on this board!
Get registered or login to the forums!

//
// Note:
// Unix timestamp limitations
// Date range is from
// the year 1970 to 2038
//--------------------------

// countdown function
// parameters: (year, month, day, hour, minute)

$content = '';

countdown(2008,12,14,12,0);

function countdown($year, $month, $day, $hour, $minute)
{

// make a unix timestamp for the given date
$the_countdown_date = mktime($hour, $minute, 0, $month, $day, $year, -1);

// get current unix timestamp
$today = time();

$difference = $the_countdown_date - $today;
if ($difference < 0) $difference = 0;

$days_left = floor($difference/60/60/24);
$hours_left = floor(($difference - $days_left*60*60*24)/60/60);
$minutes_left = floor(($difference - $days_left*60*60*24 - $hours_left*60*60)/60);

// OUTPUT

//echo "Today's date ".date("F j, Y, g:i a")." ";
//echo " ".date("F j, Y, g:i a",$the_countdown_date)." ";
//echo " ".$days_left." days ".$hours_left." hrs ".$minutes_left." mins";
}

$content .= "Today's date ".date("F j, Y, g:i a")." ";
$content .= " ".date("F j, Y, g:i a",$the_countdown_date)." ";
$content .= " ".$days_left." days ".$hours_left." hrs ".$minutes_left." mins";

?>

( What are those other values i (0, and -1) in the mktime function? And why is the var order different than the function call? )
This is the result ....

jakec · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 8:52 am

Hmm, your image doesn't appear to be displaying.

CodyG · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:49 am

Hmm... it was looking fine for me. I put the image on another server. Is it working now?

Palbin · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:02 pm

Variables do not come out of functions for the most part unless you return them.

The content variable in the function could have been named anything.

Code:

<?php

if ( !defined('BLOCK_FILE') ) {
Header("Location: ../index.php");
die();
}

//--------------------------
// author: Louai Munajim
// website:

Only registered users can see links on this board!
Get registered or login to the forums!

//
// Note:
// Unix timestamp limitations
// Date range is from
// the year 1970 to 2038
//--------------------------

// countdown function
// parameters: (year, month, day, hour, minute)

if (empty($content)){$content = '';}

$content .= countdown(2008,12,14,12,0);

function countdown($year, $month, $day, $hour, $minute)
{

// make a unix timestamp for the given date
$the_countdown_date = mktime($hour, $minute, 0, $month, $day, $year, -1);

// get current unix timestamp
$today = time();

$difference = $the_countdown_date - $today;
if ($difference < 0) $difference = 0;

$days_left = floor($difference/60/60/24);
$hours_left = floor(($difference - $days_left*60*60*24)/60/60);
$minutes_left = floor(($difference - $days_left*60*60*24 - $hours_left*60*60)/60);

// OUTPUT

//echo "Today's date ".date("F j, Y, g:i a")." ";
//echo " ".date("F j, Y, g:i a",$the_countdown_date)." ";
//echo " ".$days_left." days ".$hours_left." hrs ".$minutes_left." mins";

$content = "Today's date ".date("F j, Y, g:i a")." ";
$content .= " ".date("F j, Y, g:i a",$the_countdown_date)." ";
$content .= " ".$days_left." days ".$hours_left." hrs ".$minutes_left." mins";

return $content;
}

?>

Palbin · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:10 pm

Look up mktime() at the php site. It will tell you what all the variables are for.

Note: if you have php 5.1 or greater the last variable has become deprecated.

jakec · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:55 pm

Cheers Palbin. Smile

CodyG · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:01 pm

Quote:

Variables do not come out of functions for the most part unless you return them.

You rock! I've been trying to understand that concept in programming nuke for a long, long time. So many functions, so few returns. Wink

Countdown block now works great. Except one little thing I'd like to add ... what happens after $the_countdown_date?

Palbin · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:36 pm

What are you counting down? What would you like to happen?

I like to think the world will end!! ROTFL