PHP Sitemap Function - php

Question

As per usual I have spent the past few hours on this but cannot work out a better way. I have a CMS and need to create a sitemap. I have a function of the works but is messy and not really fit for purpose and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I under there are for loops and the likes but I'm not all that use how to use them yet. I have included the function I already have as well as a demo of the database.
tbl_website_posts
| ID | Title | Parent ID |
|-----|-------------------|-----------|
| 1 | Parent 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Parent 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Child of 2 | 2 |
Functions.php
function generate_sitemap($site_id) {
global $dbcon;
$return = '<ul>';
$icon = array('page' => 'fa-file-word', 'post' => 'fa-newspaper', 'event' => 'fa-calendar-star', 'calander' => 'fa-calendar-alt', 'training' => 'fa-award', 'people' => 'fa-user-alt', 'group' => 'fa-users-class');
$query_1 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='0'");
while ($array_1 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_1, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_1 = $array_1['id'];
$query_2 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_1'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_2) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_1['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_1['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_2 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_2, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_2 = $array_2['id'];
$query_3 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_2'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_3) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_2['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_2['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_3 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_3, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_3 = $array_3['id'];
$query_4 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_3'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_4) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_3['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_3['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_4 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_4, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_4 = $array_4['id'];
$query_5 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_4'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_5) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_4['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_4['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_5 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_5, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_5 = $array_5['id'];
$query_6 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_5'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_6) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_5['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_5['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_6 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_6, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_6 = $array_6['id'];
$query_7 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_6'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_7) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_6['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_6['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_7 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_7, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_7 = $array_7['id'];
$query_8 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_7'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_8) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_7['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_7['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_8 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_8, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_8 = $array_8['id'];
$query_9 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_8'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_9) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_8['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_8['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_9 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_9, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_9 = $array_9['id'];
$query_10 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_9'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_10) > 0) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_9['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_9['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_10 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_10, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_10 = $array_10['id'];
$query_11 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_10'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_11) > 0) {
$return .= '<li>' . $array_10['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_11 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_11, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$parent_id_11 = $array_11['id'];
$query_12 = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id_11'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($query_12) > 0) {
$return .= '<li>' . $array_11['post_title'];
$return .= '<ul>';
while ($array_12 = mysqli_fetch_array($query_12, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$return .= '<li>' . $array_12['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li>' . $array_11['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li>' . $array_10['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li>' . $array_9['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_8['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_8['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_7['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_7['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_6['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_6['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_5['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_5['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_4['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_4['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_3['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_3['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_2['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_2['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
$return .= '</li>';
} else {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array_1['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array_1['post_title'] . '</li>';
}
}
$return .= '</ul>';
return $return;
}
The function is also very limited to only going so many children in. If anyone has and suggestions on where I could start that would be amazing. Thank you in advance for your time.
Alan.

Answer 1

I'd use a recursive function for this.
Disclaimer: this is untested code I wrote in the StackOverflow editor, but it looks legit to me. YMMV, use it mostly for inspiration :-)
function generate_sitemap($site_id, $parent_id=0) {
global $dbcon;
$return = '';
$query = mysqli_query($dbcon, "SELECT * FROM tbl_website_posts WHERE post_website='$site_id' AND post_parent='$parent_id'");
// side note: once you get this working it will be worth the effort to turn
// this query into a prepared statement. Using variables in your query like
// this puts you at risk of a SQL injection attack.
if (mysql_num_rows($query) > 0) {
$return = '<ul>';
$icon = array('page' => 'fa-file-word', 'post' => 'fa-newspaper', 'event' => 'fa-calendar-star', 'calander' => 'fa-calendar-alt', 'training' => 'fa-award', 'people' => 'fa-user-alt', 'group' => 'fa-users-class');
while ($array = mysqli_fetch_array($query, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$return .= '<li data-jstree=\'{"icon":"fal ' . $icon[$array['post_type']] . '"}\'>' . $array['post_title'];
$return .= generate_sitemap($site_id, $array['id']);
$return .= '</li>';
}
$return .= '</ul>';
}
return $return;
}
So basically, start out assuming the parent won't have any child pages (initial $return value is an empty string, so we don't return an empty <ul></ul>).
Only if there are children, start building the <ul> with all child pages.
Inside the <li> for a child page, have the function call itself with the child's id as the new parent id. If the child has no child pages, the nested function call will return an empty string. Otherwise, it will return a <ul> with all of its children.