Question

I currently have an ads listing site on which there are 3 ordering filters. By default, the ads are sorted with the following line:

    $this->setState('filter_order', $app->getUserStateFromRequest('com_adsman.filter_order','filter_order', "start_date"));

When I change the start_date to another column name, it sorts by that column by default, so I know that’s where the change needs to be done. Now, how would I go about displaying random results, based on the above piece of code?

Thanks!

Edit: Here is where the actual query is called.

            $Orderings[]    = "`a`.$filter_order $filter_order_Dir";
    $Orderings[]    = "`a`.`id` $filter_order_Dir ";        

$query = " SELECT ".implode(",",$SelectCols)." \r\n ".

     " FROM `#__ads` AS `a` \r\n".

     implode(" \r\n ",$JoinList)."\r\n".

     $where."\r\n".

     " GROUP BY `a`.`id` ".

     " ORDER BY ".implode(",",$Orderings)." \r\n "; 

I’m thinking of using something like

$rand = rand(.implode(“,”,$SelectCols));

and changing $filter_order to $rand..I know this is not going to work tho, wrong syntax and wrong everything, this is where I need help!

Answer 1

well, since the query is created somewhere else, and only filled with the parameters coming from this line … you can’t just change this line …

find the actual query … append a new column like “rand() as random” and change “start_date” to “random” in this line …

//edit:

$query = " SELECT ".implode(",",$SelectCols).",rand() as random \r\n ".
     " FROM `#__ads` AS `a` \r\n".
     implode(" \r\n ",$JoinList)."\r\n".
     $where."\r\n".
     " GROUP BY `a`.`id` ".
     " ORDER BY ".implode(",",$Orderings)." \r\n "; 

should give you a random column named “random” (of course, if there is already a column with that name, that would be trouble … so maybe choose a unique name instead of “random”)