PHP w/cookies to load Flash video????

[smarsh]

Hi,

I don't know PHP but it seems like the way to do this:

I need a home page that loads a flash video into the HTML page and auto-plays for 1st time visitors. Repeat visitors (within 15 days) will have to click on the video to play it.

I think a PHP script can be used to set or add to a cookie with a count and then check to see the count. If the count is 1 it calls for the auto-play video to be loaded. If the count is 2 or greater, it calls for the click to play video.

I can make the 2 videos but I have no idea how to write the PHP.

So, is this the way to do this or is there a better way?

Can anyone help me put this script together?

Thanks guys!

[jx2]

well
its simple
my idea is:
[php]
<?php
//setup *************** *************** *******
$videoHTML = "yourVideoPage. html";
$withoutVideo = "yourNotVideoPa ge.html";
$expire = 604800; //equvalent of 1 week
// end of setup *************** *************** ***

if( ! $visited){
setcookie("visi ted",1,time()+$ expire);
include($videoH TML);
}else {
include($withou tVideoHTML);
}
[/php]

save it as yourfilename.ph p

well that is it :-)

i didnt test it but it should work fine if you have any question post again

regards
jx2

[kovik]

[php]if( ! $visited)[/php]

This line implies that you are using register_global s. Bad jx2, bad! The correct way to do this is:

[php]if (!$_COOKIE['visited'])[/php]

[smarsh]

Thanks for the script work guys!

One thing though: the video is planned to go on the index.html page. I was hoping to keep visitors there by checking the cookie via PHP, then loading one or the other flash video into the index.html page. Is that possible? Is it too slow? If not, does the index page become a simple redirect to one or the other video pages? If it redirects, I'm concerned with search engines thinking something illegal is going on...

Thanks again!

[jx2]

This line implies that you are using register_global s. Bad jx2, bad! The correct way to do this is:

[php]if (!$_COOKIE['visited'])[/php]

LOL i know I know bad bad lazy me :-)

lol

regards
jx2

[jx2]

Thanks for the script work guys!

One thing though: the video is planned to go on the index.html page. I was hoping to keep visitors there by checking the cookie via PHP, then loading one or the other flash video into the index.html page. Is that possible? Is it too slow? If not, does the index page become a simple redirect to one or the other video pages? If it redirects, I'm concerned with search engines thinking something illegal is going on...

Thanks again!

well if you save the script i wrote for you into index.php
you will not have to do anything more it will work fine
it will not redirect !!! it "change" the contents of index.php
so the adress of your page will be always the same e.g.
www.yourdomain. com/index.php regardless if its displays video or not

regards
jx2

[smarsh]

OK. I think I learned something - let me run this by you...

No index.html instead index.php. index.php is just the script with no HTML anything. The script calls one or the other html web page named in the script. In my case the pages are equivalent except for the video I put in each. All links on the site to "home" are linked to index.php

In this way the script sets a new cookie or reads an existing cookie and then calls the content to take the place of the script. After the browser is done loading, someone viewing the "home page" source would only see the content from the called html page and never the script.

Do I get it?

Also, if I want the "videoHTML" page to be allowed say 3 times (instead of 1) before switching to "withoutVid eo" what would I have to change in the script?


For my education: PHP can be written for other applications to be embedded in HTML like javascript right?

[jx2]

OK. I think I learned something - let me run this by you...

No index.html instead index.php. index.php is just the script with no HTML anything. The script calls one or the other html web page named in the script. In my case the pages are equivalent except for the video I put in each. All links on the site to "home" are linked to index.php

In this way the script sets a new cookie or reads an existing cookie and then calls the content to take the place of the script. After the browser is done loading, someone viewing the "home page" source would only see the content from the called html page and never the script.

Do I get it?

Also, if I want the "videoHTML" page to be allowed say 3 times (instead of 1) before switching to "withoutVid eo" what would I have to change in the script?


For my education: PHP can be written for other applications to be embedded in HTML like javascript right?

yeah you ve got it :-)
php can be enbedded into html or html can by enbeddet into php :-) i know sounds strange

index.php e.g. [html]
<html>
<body>
<?php
if( ! $visited) echo"play video - your html";
else echo "dont play video- your html";
?>
</body>
</html>
[/html]or in php
[php]
<?php
echo "<html><bod y>";

if( ! $visited) echo"play video - your html";
else echo "dont play video- your html";

echo "</body></html>";

?>[/php]

all depends what is more comfortable for you

regards
jx2

[smarsh]

Thanks very very much jx2!!!

I learned a lot from this little exercise...

I'm sticking with the no html .php approach for this one. When I learn more about PHP I'll try some simple embedded scripts.

The last issue with this script is still:

If I want the "videoHTML" page to be allowed say 3 times (instead of 1) before switching to "withoutVid eo" what would I have to change in the script?

[jx2]

[I][B]
If I want the "videoHTML" page to be allowed say 3 times (instead of 1) before switching to "withoutVid eo" what would I have to change in the script?

lol :-) you really want me to write it for you:-)
okey
lok at that: [php]
<?php
//setup *************** *************** *******
$videoHTML = "yourVideoPage. html";
$withoutVideo = "yourNotVideoPa ge.html";
$expire = 604800; //equvalent of 1 week
// end of setup *************** *************** ***
setcookie("visi ted", $visited++ ,time()+$expire );
if( $visited<3 ){
include($videoH TML);
}else {
include($withou tVideoHTML);
}[/php]

it should work

regards
jx2

[smarsh]

lol :-) you really want me to write it for you:-)

I know... I'm still a novice - in over his head... but I'm trying. I just don't know enough yet...

No matter what I do I can't get the revised version to go past the videoHTML page. I visited way over 3 times but it won't go. Is there a syntax issue or something I just don't see?

Thanks.

[jx2]

[php]<?php
//setup *************** *************** *******

$page1 = '<html>page1 ----------- insert your html here---------</html>';

$page2 = '<html>page2 ----------- insert your html here---------</html>';

$expire = 604800; //equvalent of 1 week
$howMany = 3;

//$visited = 0; // uncomment it if you want to reset counter

// end of setup *************** *************** ***


$visited++ ;

setcookie("visi ted", $visited ,time()+$expire );
if( $visited <= $howMany ){
echo $page1;
}else {
echo $page2;
}[/php]

make it simplier is imposible :-)

i hope that helps

regards
jx2

[smarsh]

THANKS jx2!!!

That really helps. And... I really learned something. I made a couple of changes to that last script so that it calls the pages instead of the inserted html. I know that's not much expertise, but it's more than I could do a few days back!

I look forward to learning PHP and maybe one day I can give some help to someone here.