Getting a random resource on a daily basis

701 Posts

bennyb Reply #1, 13 years, 9 months ago

Hi Any suggestions on the best way on how I could randomly pick a resource ID every day to be used with say getResources or getResourceField.

For example. I have 1-50 resource IDs.
So one day resource id=30 is picked and used for every user for the whole day.

[[getResourceField? &id=`30`]]

Then the next day an new random resource ID is set, let say 15 then the getResoruceField call would be:

[[getResourceField? &id=`15`]]

I'm not that worried if by chance the same ID appears in a row, but it needs to stay the same for every user for the whole day.

165 Posts

pdincubus Reply #2, 13 years, 9 months ago

You could use the RAND() sortby option on getResources, like so:

[[getResources? &parents=`CONTAINER ID` &limit=`1` &sortby=`RAND()` &tpl=`CHUNKNAME`]]

Which should return one resource from under a particular parent container page at random from all the results possible.

MODX RTFM docs for getResources:
http://rtfm.modx.com/display/ADDON/getResources

701 Posts

bennyb Reply #3, 13 years, 9 months ago

Hi thanks for the reply.

The problems not so much getting a random resource, it's getting this on a daily basis and for the same ID to be used throughout the day. Then the next day another another random ID. Thinking possibly cronManager maybe an option, but wondering if anyone else has implemented something similar.

MODX Staff
12,272 Posts

Ryan Thrash Reply #4, 13 years, 9 months ago

You could also do this with caching as well using the getCache snippet as Jason outlines here. That way you get the best of randomization and of caching.

http://modx.com/blog/2012/10/29/optimization-with-getcache-and-custom-cache-partitions/

Ryan Thrash, MODX Co-Founder
Follow me on Twitter at @rthrash or catch my occasional unofficial thoughts at thrash.me

165 Posts

pdincubus Reply #5, 13 years, 9 months ago

Quote from: rethrash at Jan 11, 2013, 12:16 PM

http://modx.com/blog/2012/10/29/optimization-with-getcache-and-custom-cache-partitions/

This looks really useful. And because it offers &element=`getResources` I guess that means you can pass ANY of getResources' options to it, like sortby, sortdir etc?

☆ A M B ☆
3,141 Posts

Mark Hamstra Reply #6, 13 years, 9 months ago

Quote from: pdincubus at Jan 11, 2013, 12:39 PM

Quote from: rethrash at Jan 11, 2013, 12:16 PM
http://modx.com/blog/2012/10/29/optimization-with-getcache-and-custom-cache-partitions/

This looks really useful. And because it offers &element=`getResources` I guess that means you can pass ANY of getResources' options to it, like sortby, sortdir etc?

Yes.

This a snippet I use on my website for a simple "read a random article" link:

$ids = array();
$ids = $modx->getChildIDs(6); //6 is the ID of my blog category
$c = $modx->newQuery('modResource');
$c->select(array('id'));
$c->where(array('isfolder' => false, 'published' => 1, 'deleted' => 0, 'id:IN' => $ids));

$c->limit(1);
$c->sortby('RAND()');
foreach ($modx->getIterator('modResource',$c) as $res) {
  return $modx->makeUrl($res->get('id'));
}

Mark Hamstra • Developer spending his days working on Premium Extras and a MODX Site Dashboard with the ability to remotely upgrade MODX and extras to make the MODX world a little better.

Tweet me @mark_hamstra, check my infrequent blog at markhamstra.com, my slightly more frequent ramblings at MODX.today or see code at Github.

5,888 Posts

Bruno17 Reply #7, 13 years, 9 months ago

perhaps this can give you an idea, how to get something on a dayli basis, here it is a dayli MIGX-record:

https://forums.modx.com/thread/80966/daily-images?page=2#dis-post-446678

-------------------------------

you can buy me a beer, if you like MIGX

http://webcmsolutions.de/migx.html

Thanks!

701 Posts

bennyb Reply #8, 13 years, 9 months ago

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the replies, really useful info here. The getCache snippet looks like the a great option. Going to give that a go on Monday.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

B

701 Posts

bennyb Reply #9, 13 years, 9 months ago

Ok finally set some time aside to have a play with getCache, thinking it was gonna take some time as decided to use with custom snippet. 5mins and it's doing exactly what I want.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

MODX Staff
12,272 Posts

Ryan Thrash Reply #10, 13 years, 9 months ago

So did you use getCache, or did you write a custom snippet (not totally clear and sorry for my confusion :/ )?

Ryan Thrash, MODX Co-Founder
Follow me on Twitter at @rthrash or catch my occasional unofficial thoughts at thrash.me