Question

I have this approach for now:

    ctop = $cnew = $cmine = '';
    if($actual == 'top') $ctop = 'class="active"';
    if($actual == 'last') $new = 'class="active"';
    if($actual == 'mine') $cmine = 'class="active"';
    $html = '<aside class="panel_derecho">
                <div class="tabs"><h4>$donde</h4>
                    <ul>';
                                $js = "refrescar_submenu('last_$donde')";
                                $js_t = "refrescar_submenu('top_$donde')";
                                $js_r = "refrescar_submenu('mine_$donde')";
                        $html .= '<li '.$ctop.'><a href="#sub_menu" onclick="'.$js_t.'">top</a></li>';
                        $html .= '<li '.$cnew.'><a href="#sub_menu" onclick="'.$js.'">ultimos</a></li>';
                        $html .= '<li '.$mine.'><a href="#sub_menu" onclick="'.$js_r.'">like</a></li>';
   $html .= '       </ul>
            </aside>';
    return $html;

wich works as expected:

It generates a list with the desired copy, the desired javascript function parameter, and the active class (for the wanted one)

But i feel it could be less repetitive; and i can already see that it will be expensive to add/edit/remove copys, params, elements, etc.. i just don’t know where to beggin..

In case it helps:

1. $donde represents the type of data (articles, songs, videos, ..)
2. $actual represents one atribute (new articles, top articles,
   articles i like)

Answer 1

// Menu: link => text
$menu = array(
     "top" => "top",
     "last" => "ultimos",
     "mine" => "like"
);

$html = '<aside class="panel_derecho">
            <div class="tabs"><h4>$donde</h4>
                <ul>';
foreach ($menu as $link => $text)
{
    $html .= '<li '.( $link==$actual ? 'class="active"' : '').'><a href="#sub_menu" onclick="refrescar_submenu(\''.$link.'_'.$donde.'\')">'.$text.'</a></li>';
}
$html .= '       </ul>
        </aside>';
return $html;