Auto refresh html - alternate pdf files

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Auto refresh html - alternate pdf files

Oxidised

Hi,
I have developed a report that is now on display on a separate computer in the middle of my office. This report changes frequent, so to display it, I wrote the following htm. It is not pretty, but it works.

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Delivery Schedule</TITLE>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" CONTENT="600">
</HEAD>
<BODY>
     <iframe src="\\SERVER-NATBIO\Distribution\LOG\Uncontrolled\Delivery Schedule.pdf" width="100%" height="100%"  FRAMEBORDER="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" SCROLLING="no"></IFRAME>
</BODY>
</HTML>
[\html]

Now I have been asked to display another pdf report as well. I was wondering if it is possible to modify this code so that on each refresh, the html page will load a different file. The user looking at it would see something like this:
start - file 1 is displayed
5mins later - file 2 is displayed
5mins later - file 1 is displayed again
5mins later - file 2 is displayed again

I haven't done much html, but my engineering logic would suggest something like the following should work, I just don't know how to do it in html:

Set switch = first
IF (switch = first, load file 1, set switch = second)
ELSE (load file 2, set switch = first)
End
Refresh after 5min

Thanks in advance!

winthropite

Why not just put the two reports in two iframes?

JCPerez

Include the link to PDF files in an array, then try a rand... This will load a differente PDF each time page load...

<?php $pdf  = array('link1', 'link2');
$numpdf = count($pdf);
$j = rand(0, $numpdf - 1); ?>

The only thing is that u have to chanche to .php file instead .html
Then ur full code will be:

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Delivery Schedule</TITLE>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" CONTENT="600">
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<?php $pdf  = array('link1', 'link2');
$numpdf = count($pdf);
$j = rand(0, $numpdf - 1); ?>
<iframe src="<?php echo $j; ?>" width="100%" height="100%" FRAMEBORDER="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" SCROLLING="no"></IFRAME>
</BODY>
</HTML>

Tryit and tell me what sup...

hope to be helpfull

Oxidised

winthropite;1312059 wrote:
Why not just put the two reports in two iframes?

Had thought about that, and could work. At the moment the formatting of the reports wouldn't really fit nicely on the screen we are using. If nothing else works, I will change the report formats to do such, and maybe get the boss to buy a bigger screen!

Oxidised

JCPerez;1312189 wrote:
Include the link to PDF files in an array, then try a rand... This will load a differente PDF each time page load...

The only thing is that u have to chanche to .php file instead .html
Then ur full code will be:

Tryit and tell me what sup...

hope to be helpfull

Great idea, will try it out and let you know!

jedaisoul

It seems to me that, as far as I am aware, the problem is that there is no mechanism to pass a counter with the refresh. But the refresh is, itself, a counter. So why not just set it to an odd number of seconds, e.g. 599, instead of 600? That way, each refresh will occur on an odd or even count of seconds. If the count of seconds is odd, show one web page, if even show the other. E.g.:

<?php
if(fmod(date('s'),'2')=='1') { $pdf='link1';}
else {$pdf='link2';}
?>

Oxidised

jedaisoul;1313639 wrote:
It seems to me that, as far as I am aware, the problem is that there is no mechanism to pass a counter with the refresh. But the refresh is, itself, a counter. So why not just set it to an odd number of seconds, e.g. 599, instead of 600? That way, each refresh will occur on an odd or even count of seconds. If the count of seconds is odd, show one web page, if even show the other. E.g.:
<?php
if(fmod(date('s'),'2')=='1') { $pdf='link1';}
else {$pdf='link2';}
?>

Hi Jedaisoul, sounds like a great idea. I just tried it and keep getting a file not found error.

<HTML> 
<HEAD> 
<TITLE>Delivery Schedule</TITLE> 
<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" CONTENT="5"> 
</HEAD> 
<BODY> 

<?php
if(fmod(date('s'),'2')=='1') { $pdf='\\SERVER-xxxx\Distribution\LOG\Uncontrolled\Delivery Schedule.pdf';}
else {$pdf='C:\Users\xxxx\Desktop\test.pdf';}
?>

<iframe src="<?php echo $pdf; ?>" width="100%" height="100%" FRAMEBORDER="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" SCROLLING="no"></IFRAME>

</BODY> 
</HTML>

Is there something obvious I am doing wrong or leaving out?

jedaisoul

[strike]Firstly, you are using double-quotes instead of single quotes. Single quotes are more appropriate.[/strike] Oops, my tired old eyes!

Secondly, you have used mixed case, lower case is more reliable.

Thirdly, there is a space in the file name "Delivery Schedule.pdf". Try renaming it "delivery_schedule.pdf" and amend the code accordingly.

Fourthly, it is very unlikely that the address "C:\Users\xxxx\Desktop\test.pdf" is accessible to your server!!! Files MUST be located on the server, or within the path of a localhost (if used).

Fifth, there is a line break between "?" and ">". That may just be an effect of copy/pasting here, but needs to be checked.

Oxidised

jedaisoul;1314099 wrote:
[strike]Firstly, ...Fifth,

Thanks for the response Jedaisoul. I have been through and corrected the code as per your comments and it still gives me the error. At this point I think I will have have x2 iframes on the same page and leave it at that.

note for point 4, the "xxx" in the path was just where I removed names to keep things anonymous. In my copy the path files are correct, and work when I don't use php and just use a direct reference in the iframes statement.

Thanks for all the help.