Darren

Hello,

My girlfriend has uni project to create a mash up site using API's.

She is looking to use an IMDB API which we have found and got it onto her site but we are having problems formating the string.

The string looks as follows:

http://www.deanclatworthy.com/imdb/?q=The+Green+Mile

We would like to be able to use printf $movie_title, printf $movie_year etc..

Does anyone know how we can format that output to set each variable?

Thanks in advance, Darren.

retired_member13

Hi Darren,

If the string is always the same (in terms of number of variables and their order within it) you could just

<?php
$movie = (the API Query);
//create an array by breaking at each comma'd section
$movie = explode(",". $movie);

//process the new array

foreach ($movie as &$value) {
//create a 2 part sub array for each value
$value = explode(":". $movie);
//strip the label by splitting at the : and assigning the value as the second half
$value=$value[1];
//remove the quotes
$value = str_replace('"',"",$value);
}
//Leaves you with an array of the form {The Green Mile,1999,http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0120689\/,USA,etc etc
//Set the variables

$movie_title=$movie[0];
$movie_year=$movie[1];
etc etc
?>

Then refer to the newly set variable as you wanted to.

I've just written this out cold, so excuse any syntax errors there might be, but this should be an easy way of parsing the IMDB output.

Regards

Ty

dtm

Haha, I was in the midst of writing the exact same thing

Go with Ty_'s but I had made a start! I've not tried it.

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davedevelopment

Looks like json to me, try this PHP: json_decode - Manual

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dtm

Thats just far too easy

Betty Boop

Hello Everyone,

I am the girlfriend with the Php Problem. I have tried using the JSON, I think I need to elaborate on it as it isn't doing anything different at the moment.

Thanks.

Darren

UH OH! my one place of freedom now gone

davedevelopment

Here's an example:

Betty Boop

Hi,

Thanks for the code.

I have tried to implement it but it doesnt display what you said here is my code:


<form action='trial.php' method='GET'>

<input type="text" name="search_term"/>
<input type="submit" value="Find"/>

</form>

<?php
// the if statement if there is nothing in the search box
if(empty($_GET['search_term']))
{
print "This must not be left blank!";
exit(0);
}
$search = $_GET['search_term'];

$movie = ("http://www.deanclatworthy.com/imdb/?q=");
$movie = explode(",". $movie);

$string = '{
"title":"The Green Mile",
"year":"1999",
"imdburl":"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0120689\/",
"country":"USA",
"languages":"English,French",
"genres":"Crime,Drama,Fantasy",
"rating":"http:",
"votes":"179354",
"usascreens":"2875",
"ukscreens":"340"
}';

$obj = json_decode($string);
printf('<a href="%s" title="%s">%s (%d)</a>', $obj->imdburl, $obj->title, $obj->title, $obj->year);

I have loads of other code that didn't work that is commented out.

accelerator

Just to mention that there's also a helpful PHP coding forum at PHP Freaks.

Although I'm sure some of the members here are quite handy with PHP too ...

Rgds

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