Hopefully Simple Switch Question

[mrwilson]

Obviously a Newbie here. Some may recognize this script as It was graciously given to me here

I am using the switch script to change pages within a body div dynamically.
My basic question is, how can i get that down to a DIV level and not on a "page" level?
http://www.lunarcafe.com/tryme/template.php

I am using:
<div id="body1">

<?php
include("inc.html");

$page = $_GET['page'];

switch ($page) {
case "cats";
include ("cats.html");
break;

case "dogs";
include ("dogs.html");
break;

}
?></div>
<div id="body2">
<?php
include("inc.html");

$page1 = $_GET['page'];

switch ($page1) {
case "mice";
include ("mice.html");
break;

case "fish";
include ("fish.html");
break;

}
?>

If you look at my page, menu items 2-3 apply to the first DIV, and the 4-5 menu items apply to the 2nd DIV. When I hit 4-5, the information in DIV 1 goes away and the proper files appear in Div2.
My menu is structured like this
<?php
$home = $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"];
echo "<a href=\"$home\">Home</a><br />";
echo "<a href='http://www.lunarcafe.com/tryme/template.php?page=dogs'>The Dog page</a><br />";
echo "<a href='template.php?page=cats'>The cat page</a><br />";
echo "<a href='http://www.lunarcafe.com/tryme/template.php?page=mice'>The Mice page</a><br />";
echo "<a href='http://www.lunarcafe.com/tryme/template.php?page=fish'>The Fish page</a><br />";
?>


I have a feeling the answer lies in the template.php?page=fish' PAGE statement here and in $page1 = $_GET['page'] linkage as well

Any thoughts? I want to assign the menu links to certain DIV's without changing the information in the first div? The page will be changed when I have a clue what I am doign, this page is for my own learning. There will be at least 4 DIV's

Thanks for reading this.

[so_is_this]

Basically, it works the same way at the DIV level as at the page level -- if a file is to contain a single DIV. If you're wanting to include multiple DIVs in the same file, then you could use something like preg_match() to extract a particular DIV out of a library file of DIVs.

[mrwilson]

I see what you are saying, but I was trying to include a file into a particular DIV from a link and have it stay there till replaced. But you have given me a vary good idea with the library or array of $DIV's. Thanks!

[so_is_this]

Originally Posted by mrwilson

... I was trying to include a file into a particular DIV from a link and have it stay there till replaced.

That can certainly be done. All it takes is for the link to point to the current page and have a query string argument attached to the link which designates the particular DIV to be inserted. If that page is to retain that DIV even after navigating to a different page and then coming back to the current page, then you will have to save such information in either SESSION variables or in a COOKIE.

[mrwilson]

That will be a good learning tool, the sessions and/or the cookie. I have been reading up on sessions and want to try something in that area.

Could you give me an example of such an query string arguement attached to a link? just any example will do for me to get the idea. Thanks.

[so_is_this]

The link:

<a href="thispage.htm?div=someid">Some Text</a>

The code to receive the value from the link:

PHP Code:

<?php

if (isset($_GET['div'])
&& !empty($_GET['div'])):
    $div = $_GET['div'];
else:
    $div = '';
endif;

?>

[mrwilson]

Excellent, thank you for being so kind.
I see what you did, its almost exactly like a post and get form.
Part of whats dificult with this, is that 99% of tutorials dont teach you things like "!empty" and you are left dangling wondering why things dont work. I guess thats why you download scripts, to analyze them

Thanks again.

[so_is_this]

Salud!