The mgiRotate Tag
Tag Behavior
Use the mgiRotate tag to randomly rotate the display of a
database value, file name, or list item each time a page is served.
Tag Syntax
The mgiRotate tag has three sources. Each source has different
required and optional parameters. The sources of mgiRotate are:
- databaseField - Database field values are randomly
rotated.
- folder - Item names in a folder are randomly rotated.
(Note: Hidden files will not be rotated.)
- itemList - Items in a list are randomly rotated.
DatabaseField Source
The databaseField source of the mgiRotate tag has three required
parameters and three optional parameters. The tag form is:
<mgiRotate source="databaseField" databaseName="Database"
fieldName="Field" odbcDatasource="Source Name"
odbcUsername="Name" odbcPassword="Password">
Required Parameters:
- source - The source is the location of the values
or items to randomly rotate. The "databaseField"
source rotates values from a database field.
- databaseName - The databaseName is the name of the
database that contains the values to rotate.
- fieldName - The fieldName is the name of the database
field that contains the values to rotate.
Optional Parameters:
- odbcDatasource (NT only) - The odbcDatasource is the name of
datasource on the server that provides access information for
an external ODBC database. If the odbcDatasource parameter is
included, counter information will be stored in the specified
ODBC database rather than the internal MGI database. Inquire
with the server administrator for additional information about
the use of ODBC databases. If you include
the odbcDatasource parameter, the odbcUsername and odbcPassword
parameters are required.
- odbcUsername (NT only) - The odbcUsername is the username required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcUsername
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
- odbcPassword (NT only) - The odbcPassword is the code required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcPassword
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
Folder Source
The folder source of the mgiRotate tag has two required parameter
and no optional parameters. The tag form is:
<mgiRotate source="folder" folderLocation="Path">
Required Parameters:
- source - The source is the location of the values
or items to randomly rotate. The "folder" source
rotates filenames from the specified folder.
- folderLocation - The folderLocation is the relative
path to the folder that contains the filenames to rotate.
Optional Parameters:
ItemList Source
The itemList source of the mgiRotate tag needs two of three
required parameters and two optional parameters. The tag form
is:
<mgiRotate source="itemList" item="Item"
itemList="Item List" delimiter="Character">
Required Parameters:
- source - The source is the location of the values
or items to randomly rotate. The "itemList"
source rotates items from a character delimited list of items.
- item - The item is one value to rotate. Multiple item
parameters may be included in one mgiRotate tag and may be included
with itemList parameters. At least one item parameter or one
itemList parameter is required.
- itemList - The itemList is a string of items separated
by a character delimiter. Multiple itemList parameters may be
included in one mgiRotate tag and may be included with item parameters.
At least one item parameter or one itemList parameter is required.
Optional Parameters:
- delimiter - The delimiter is the character that separates
each item in the item list. The default value is a comma. If
special reserved characters such as tabs and backslashes are
delimiters, you must use the appropriate Escaped
String format.
Example Usage and Output
DatabaseField Source
One of the exciting positions now available is
<mgiRotate source="databaseField" databaseName="Jobs"
fieldName="Position">
In this example, current positions in a job database are randomly
rotated in the sentence "One of the exciting positions now
available is..." The positions are in a database named "Jobs",
and in a field named "Position".
Folder Source
<mgiSet name="imageLocation">
Images/<mgiRotate source="folder" folderLocation="Images">
</mgiSet>
<img src={mgiGet name="imageLocation"}>
In this example, image filenames located in the folder Images
are randomly rotated to cause an image to change at random on
a web page.
ItemList Source
<mgiRotate source="itemList" item="100"
itemList={mgiPathArgument mode="returnAllValues"}>
In this example, numerical values from path arguments are
randomly rotated with the static value 100.
Suggested Usage
|