PHP, adding a div wrap around a dynamic loop

Question

I am working on a calendar script to output events that are grouped by month. Everything is working fine, except I can't figure out how to add a div wrapper around each month without some closing tag issues. Here is my loop code:

if ($posts) {

    $month_titles = array();
    $close = false;  

    foreach( $posts as $post ) {
      setup_postdata( $post ); 
      $month_title = date('F Y', strtotime(get_post_meta($post->ID,'_event_start_local', true)));

      if(!in_array($month_title, $month_titles)) {
        if($close) echo '</ul>';                                                             
        echo '<h4>'.$month_title.'</h4>';
        echo '<ul>';                         
        $month_titles[] = $month_title;                                                         
        $close = true;  
      }
      echo '<li>'.get_the_title().'</li>';

    }
    if ($close) echo '</ul>';
}

Here is how this is current output:

<h4>Month Name 2018</ul>
<ul>
  <li>Title of Event</li>
  <li>Title of Event</li>
</ul>

I would like for it to be like this:

<div>
  <h4>Month Name 2018</h4>
  <ul>
    <li>Title of Event</li>
    <li>Title of Event</li>
  </ul>
</div>

I have tried a few different ways to add the div wrap and it either closes too early or too late. I need a fresh set of eyes on this as I have been messing with it too long!

Jeff · Accepted Answer · 2018-10-20 01:26:28Z

1

This logic should work for what you want:

// preset some vars
$oldMonth = null;
$firstItem = true; 

foreach($posts as $post) {
  setup_postdata($post); 
  $month_title = date('F Y', strtotime(get_post_meta($post->ID,'_event_start_local', true)));

  // check if we have a new month coming up:
  if($oldMonth != $month_title) {
    // when it's the first one ever, just open the div     
    if($firstItem) {
       echo "<div>";
       $firstItem = false;  //..and remember that the following aren't the first
    } else {  // else close the previous ones and open a new one
       echo "</ul></div><div>";
    }
    // show the new month and open the list
    echo '<h4>'.$month_title.'</h4>';
    echo '<ul>';                         
  }
  echo '<li>'.get_the_title().'</li>';
  $oldMonth = $month_title;  // remember the last month

}
// at the end close the last ul and last div
echo '</ul></div>';

edited Oct 20, 2018 at 1:26

answered Oct 20, 2018 at 1:22

Jeff

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2 Comments

RiotAct Over a year ago

Yep! Thanks! I had to fix a misspelled word on line 1 $oldMoth should be $oldMonth.

Jeff Over a year ago

yup, corrected that and added some comments! also fixed the end

Nick · Accepted Answer · 2018-10-20 01:33:36Z

1

It seems just changing these lines:

if($close) echo '</ul>';                                                             
echo '<h4>'.$month_title.'</h4>';

to

if($close) echo '</ul></div>';                                                             
echo '<div><h4>'.$month_title.'</h4>';

should do what you want. Note you have to change the if on $close in both places in your code)

answered Oct 20, 2018 at 1:33

Nick

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2 Comments

RiotAct Over a year ago

Jeff beat you by a couple minutes with his solution, but your solution works as well. I upvoted you for your answer. Thanks!

Nick Over a year ago

@RiotAct absolutely and normally I wouldn't have answered as Jeff's does work, it just seemed that since your code could be fixed reasonably easily, it was worth posting how to.

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