Php webtags: Difference between revisions

== Option 3: JavaScript Object Notation ==

This is a lightweight data-interchange format (JSON) that is easy for humans to read and write, but critically it is easy for machines to parse and generate for transferring the variables in a portable way.

*To have the json files uploaded to your web site, you must enable '''Include standard files''' within the ''Web/FTP settings'' section of '''Internet Settings'''.

*Cumulus MX has one json file per weather chart

*The interval between sub-arrays (time and value pairs) depends on the chart, for daily rain and daily temperature there is a sub array for each day; but for most there is a sub-array for every minute (assuming Cumulus is left running for long enough) for a full 24 hours.  

If you want to set up your own json files, you may follow the same approach but need to choose the interval between such sub-arrays that suits your use in your web pages.

** Check your choice of read-made script can output dates in the format you prefer.

*Do you prefer 24-hour clock (some call this timetable format or military format) or 12 hour clock with am/pm?

**Some ready made scripts may express times in both formats so you can choose the format you want

*Cumulus MX web tags do allow embedding of HTML, see the [[Webtags|Web tags article]] for details.

*One approach, that is perhaps easier is to modify a ready-made script (as has happened for some of those listed below) by adding new lines, each with a PHP variable name (it must start with "$") on the left of an equals sign and a web tag (<#tag_name>) on the right, and end the line with a ";".  

*You can add a comment at end of line using prefix "//".  

*The scary bit is understanding the right format to use in those web tags for the output parameters because it is easy to specify items like minutes, hour, or month, incorrectly, especially if you have moved from Cumulus 1 to MX.

*Be aware that if you are using Cumulus 1, when processing it ignores any web tags it does not recognise.  

**That download includes just 10 elements for the recent history tags at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 minutes. If you want older values or values at other times, then you will need to add these to the array yourself.

These templates have not been influenced by the original template, but instead have tried to cover what suited each author at the time the template was written, and each author has made their own independent decision about what parameters to use.

*The simplest template of all, it essentially reproduces the layout used for tables on the [[Webtags|web tags wiki page]], so it is very nicely laid out. It was written from scratch by Brandon using all web tags available in November 2014 with Cumulus 1, although MX beta was available then, he has not identified the tags not available in MX at that time. Because Brandon has not used using any output parameters, it will work with Cumulus 1 and MX, but as it is also without any input parameters none of his Recent History PHP variables actually contain anything but rubbish. It can be downloaded in [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10424#p99549 this storm rain topic].

* Another simple template, but this one includes far fewer web tags, is called ''CUtags.txt'', it was produced by BCJKiwi as a single template file able to work with both Cumulus 1 and MX. It can be downloaded as part of his [[CumulusMX_and_Cumulus1_UI_style_Multilingual_Websites|package]] or separately at [https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=17985&p=140688#p140688 this post of mine in a zip].

**This template does not contain any web tags that are only available in MX, nor does it contain any web tags that require input or output parameters. The PHP variable names match Cumulus web tag names, but some of those PHP variables are set to "not used", instead of to the web tag contents, because this template file is designed for a specific set of web pages.

== Usage ==

== Add your template(s) to Extra Files processing ==

   

=== Cumulus 1 ===

#Edit the screen columns as indicated by red in the figure:

#*in one of the local side boxes (under the 'Local filenames' header), enter the path (directory\file) to where you have stored the template:<br>e.g. '''your_customised_template_location\cumuluswebtags.txt'''<br> (you can use the 'Browse' button to find and select the exact location of the file);<br><br>

#** (-- if you are using a local server, and want Cumulus to do a 'copy' instead of using 'FTP' then specify the full path for the destination file here);

#* place a check mark in the box under the 'Process?' header;

#** -- this tells Cumulus that the file '''cumuluswebtags.txt''' contains tags which need to be replaced by actual values when it processes the template into a web page;

#*(there is no red arrow under the 'Realtime' header as it may not be appropriate),

#* place a check mark in the box under the 'FTP?' header;

#** -- this tells Cumulus that the processed file must be uploaded by file transfer to the remote Web server with all the other files;

=== Cumulus MX ===

It is broadly similar for Cumulus MX.

#* In the example illustrated there are 4 web tag templates, each containing the web tags that are to be processed at a different frequency, all following advice on this page:

#*# one ('static') only needs to be processed once, it is shown as using EOD here, but actually you would use real-time once, and then delete the local name so Cumulus did not try to process it again.

#*# one ('standard_update') is processed and uploaded at the standard uploading interval

#*# the remaining one is processed and uploaded at the last task when [[Cumulus_MX#MX_End_of_Day_Process|the MX_End_of_Day_Process]] runs.

#If you have followed the instructions above and saved your file in UTF-8 encoding, tick the '''UTF8''' column.

#Leave the '''Binary''' column unticked.

==Example==

<pre>

<?php  

  echo $time;

  echo "<br/>";

See [[Sensor_Contact_PHP]] for another example script that uses this file.

Example

This will display the source code of the file, listing all the variable names and the values Cumulus has assigned to the web tags during it's processing cycle. It won't show you the original template with web tags in it.