CSS Dropdown menu through PHP, logic defeats me - php

Question

My brain doesn't seem to want to work this morning.. i have the following array:
private $nav_pages = [['0', 'Home', 'home'],
['0', 'About Us', 'about'],
['0', 'Our Services', 'services'],
['1', 'PROCURE TO PAY (P2P)', 'procure'],
['1', 'ORDER TO CASH (02C)', 'cash'],
['1', 'GENERAL ACCOUNTING', 'general'],
['2', 'Charting of Accounts', 'charting'],
['2', 'General Ledger Maintenance', 'maintenance'],
['2', 'Accounts Receivable Services', 'receivable'],
['2', 'Accounts Payable Services', 'payable'],
['2', 'Reconciliation of Bank Accounts and Credit Cards', 'reconciliation'],
['2', 'Preparing Financial Statements', 'statements'],
['2', 'Payroll Processing', 'payroll'],
['1', 'CLOSING & REPORTING', 'closing'],
['0', 'How It Works', 'how-it-works'],
['0', 'Contact Us','contact'],
['0', 'Careers', 'careers']];
This is then fed to a php page which is meant to lay out a multi-layered pure css drop down menu.. the php page code is:
<ul class="<?php echo $ul_class; ?>">
<?php $this_layer = 0;
// place array content into variables
foreach ($links as $link) {
$item_layer = $link[0];
$item_string = $link[1];
$item_link = $link[2];
if ($item_layer > $this_layer) { ?>
<ul>
<?php $this_layer++; }
elseif ($item_layer == $this_layer) { ?>
<li class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<a class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>"
href="/<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<?php echo $item_string; ?>
</a>
</li>
<?php }
elseif ($item_layer < $this_layer) { ?>
</li></ul>
<?php $this_layer--; } ?>
<?php } ?>
The output is not correct however as the above code always closes the list item containing the second layer before the second layer is ready to be closed. if that makes sense..
<ul class="pages_nav">
<li class="home">
<a class="home"
href="/home">
Home
</a>
</li>
<li class="about">
<a class="about"
href="/about">
About Us
</a>
</li>
<li class="services">
<a class="services"
href="/services">
Our Services
</a>
</li>
<ul>
<li class="cash">
<a class="cash"
href="/cash">
ORDER TO CASH (02C)
</a>
</li>
<li class="general">
<a class="general"
href="/general">
GENERAL ACCOUNTING
</a>
</li>
<ul>
<li class="maintenance">
<a class="maintenance"
href="/maintenance">
General Ledger Maintenance
</a>
</li>
<li class="receivable">
<a class="receivable"
href="/receivable">
Accounts Receivable Services
</a>
</li>
<li class="payable">
<a class="payable"
href="/payable">
Accounts Payable Services
</a>
</li>
<li class="reconciliation">
<a class="reconciliation"
href="/reconciliation">
Reconciliation of Bank Accounts and Credit Cards
</a>
</li>
<li class="statements">
<a class="statements"
href="/statements">
Preparing Financial Statements
</a>
</li>
<li class="payroll">
<a class="payroll"
href="/payroll">
Payroll Processing
</a>
</li>
</li></ul>
</li></ul>
<li class="contact">
<a class="contact"
href="/contact">
Contact Us
</a>
</li>
<li class="careers">
<a class="careers"
href="/careers">
Careers
</a>
</li>
SOLUTION:
<ul class="<?php echo $ul_class; ?>">
<?php $this_layer = 0;
// place array content into variables
foreach ($links as $link) {
$item_layer = $link[0];
$item_string = $link[1];
$item_link = $link[2];
// check if link needs to be manipulated
switch($do) {
case 'strtolower':
$item_string = strtolower($item_string);
break;
case 'strtoupper':
$item_string = strtoupper($item_string);
break;
} ?>
<?php if ($item_layer > $this_layer) { ?>
<ul>
<li class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<a class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>"
href="/<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<?php echo $item_string; ?>
</a>
<?php $this_layer++; }
elseif ($item_layer == $this_layer) { ?>
</li><li class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<a class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>"
href="/<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<?php echo $item_string; ?>
</a>
<?php }
elseif ($item_layer < $this_layer) { ?>
</li></ul></li><li class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<a class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>"
href="/<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<?php echo $item_string; ?>
</a>
<?php $this_layer--; } ?>
<?php } ?>

Answer 1

Never close the the li tag, close it when you add something
foreach ($links as $link) {
if ($item_layer > $this_layer) {
echo '<ul><li> ......';
this_layer++;
}elseif ($item_layer == $this_layer) {
echo '</li><li>......';
}elseif ($item_layer < $this_layer) {
echo '</li></ul><li>......';
$this_layer--;
}
}
Last you probably need to add a echo '</li></ul>' outside of the foreach to close everything

Answer 2

Had to rework the code a little, usually i organize the php menu structure in tree form makes it easier to parse into html menus, but here it is:
<ul class="<?php echo $ul_class; ?>">
<?php
$this_layer = 0;
$closeit = false;
// place array content into variables
foreach ($nav_pages as $link) {
$item_layer = $link[0];
$item_string = $link[1];
$item_link = $link[2];
if ($item_layer > $this_layer) {
// Changing level, dont close the previous li
?><ul><?php
$closeit = false;
$this_layer++;
}
if ($item_layer == $this_layer) {
// Same level, check if you need to close previous li
if ($closeit) {
?></li><?php
}
// Render the li
?>
<li class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<a class="<?php echo $item_link; ?>"
href="/<?php echo $item_link; ?>">
<?php echo $item_string; ?>
</a>
<?php
// Close it on next loop
$closeit = true;
}
elseif ($item_layer < $this_layer) {
// Changing layer back down, close the previous li and the current level ul
?>
</li>
</ul>
<?php
$this_layer--;
}
}
// Finished loop, there should still be a li waiting to be closed
if ($closeit) {
?></li><?php
}
// Close menu
?>
</ul>
Should be working, let me know if it isnt
Suggested php menu structure:
$menu = array(
array(
"url"=>"/place.php",
"text"=>"Go to place"
),
array(
"url"=>"/place2.php", // not necessary
"text"=>"with submenu",
"children"=>array(
array(
"url"=>"/placewithinplace2.php",
"text"=>"submenu item"
)
)
)
);