A simple switch function has 4 or 5 cases, each of which are similar to using an IF statement.  To put it simply, our switch checks which option the user has chosen (i.e. add smilie, delete smilie, clear shoutbox, logout, nothing or posting) and then processes the correct code. The add smilie and delete smilie options are the only two that need further processing - the clear shoutbox and logout cases just handle themselves in a line or two.

The add smilie case provides the user with a basic form to input the original symbol i.e. =) or =O, and then a box to upload a replacement smilie image. There are no dimension protections in our script, but we should limit ourselves to images 15x15 pixels in size, or they will look silly when displayed in the shoutbox text. Transparent GIF’s are a good option, as they allow a whole multitude of different background colours.

The delete smilie case provides the user with a list all of the current smilies and, when the user clicks one, the posting case authenticates the click and deletes the appropriate smilie.

The posting case is based on the add smilie case. It first authenticates that the user wants to upload a smilie, then defines the directory to upload to, and uploads the file. It then puts the filename into the ALT and URL fields in the database with the Symbol equal to the symbol field on the form.

Emptying the shoutbox uses the SQL query: TRUNCATE TABLE [tablename] to completely empty the table, removing all shouts in the database in milliseconds.

Well… this just makes sure the user is logged in with administrator permissions before continuing. Now we can finally get out of functions and into the actual HTML of the page:

This is just basic HTML with a title, some links and a content area that calls the selectAction function, providing it with the URL variable ‘mode’. This page probably won't validate through a HTML standards checker, but it is only meant as an example anyway.

This final snippet of code ensures that if the user isn’t logged in, he/she will be given a nice login form to inwardly digest instead...

Conclusion
Well, that’s pretty much everything! I hope you enjoyed reading this walkthrough as much as I enjoyed writing it (it took me HOURS as there are about 150 lines of code in each file, then I had to write all this too, and the first beta had a very stupid error in it that took me days to figure out... =P). That said, I hope this walkthrough has helped you in your quest for shoutbox-dom.

If you want to download these files in a completed format, just click here (.zip format). These files are 51% the property of Averill.co.nz Web Development and Robbie Averill and 49% the property of BioRUST. If you use them on your website, please show your appreciation by linking to us in return.  If you don't, we might have to remind you of the finer points of the GPL license under which these files are offered... ;)

If you have any problems please don’t hesitate to contact me by clicking my name below to visit my profile on the Forums, where you can Private Message or E-mail me. My contact information is also on this page if you don't want to register.

- Tutorial written by Scrowler

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