Hi

we've got a lists of names and we want to automatically randomly display one of the names each time a web page is accessed.

at the moment we cut and paste from the word doc and insert the name in the page for the day but we want to make it automatic so that each time a visitor access that page one of the names is dislayed.

There are not many names in each list - about 50 so I can put them in a spreadsheet or whatever but we do want to add or edit the list in the future.

Any ideas of the easiest way to do this would be appreciated.


thanks

You could store each name in a row in mysql and then use this code to randomly select one row each time:

PHP Code:

SELECT * FROM tbl_name ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1; 


You could make a .JS file with a array containing the names ie:

var names = new Array("Henry","Bill","Fred");

function rand(num) {
return Math.floor(Math.random() * num)+ 1; /*returns a random number between 1 and the number it is given*/
}

document.write("<p>"+names[rand(2)]+"</p>");

You could insert the script straight in the page or in a seperate .js file and it will randomly select a name each time the page loads.

This requires no server side scripting and is very simple.

I have made a page simply demonstrating how the script works: http://www.ejumblesale.net/randomnames.htm

reload the page to change the name

put this in a .js file:

function randomisation(){
var randomad_display=new Array()
randomad_display[1]='random name 1'
randomad_display[2]='random name 2'
randomad_display[3]='name 3'
randomad_display[4]='and so on'


var ry=Math.floor(Math.random()*randomad_display.lengt h)
if (ry==0)
ry=1
document.write(randomad_display[ry])
}
randomisation()



replace the text between the single quotes (') ... remember to increment the values (the numbers between the [ ] each time u add a new one

then put the followig html in your page u want it to appear on:

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="random.js"></script>