loop through ditto calls in MODx

Question

I use ditto to show the last entries of a specific parent. For this I am using the following call:

[!Ditto? &parents=`5` &orderBy=`createdon DESC` &display=`3`

&total=`4` &extenders=`summary` &tpl=`tpl_news` &truncLen=`160` &truncOffset=`20` !]

I now want my website to continuously loop through a specific range of parent ids and change the parents parameter every other second.

The result should be a "slideshow" of the content called by the ditto calls.

No special effects, no design (except the one provided by the template).

Is there an easy way to manage this?

Solution:

Got it to work!

I created this resource:

<div id="newsticker_vn">[!Ditto? &parents=`6` &orderBy=`createdon DESC` &display=`1`<br />&total=`4` &extenders=`summary` &tpl=`tpl_news` &truncLen=`160` &truncOffset=`20` !]</div>
<div id="newsticker_hp">[!Ditto? &parents=`5` &orderBy=`createdon DESC` &display=`1`<br />&total=`4` &extenders=`summary` &tpl=`tpl_news` &truncLen=`160` &truncOffset=`20` !]</div>
<div id="newsticker_ks">[!Ditto? &parents=`7` &orderBy=`createdon DESC` &display=`1`<br />&total=`4` &extenders=`summary` &tpl=`tpl_news` &truncLen=`160` &truncOffset=`20` !]</div>

and use this script to get the desired ditto calls and loop them:

<div id="newsticker"></div>
<script type="text/javascript">
    function execute() {
        $( "#newsticker" ).load("[~348~] #newsticker_vn").delay( 300 ).fadeIn( "slow" ).delay( 6000 ).fadeOut( "slow",execute2 );
    }
    function execute2() {
        $( "#newsticker" ).load("[~348~] #newsticker_ks").delay( 300 ).fadeIn( "slow" ).delay( 6000 ).fadeOut( "slow",execute3 );
    }
    function execute3() {
        $( "#newsticker" ).load("[~348~] #newsticker_hp").delay( 300 ).fadeIn( "slow" ).delay( 6000 ).fadeOut( "slow",execute );
    }
    execute();
</script>

I tried doing all steps in one function but for some reason it was showing every ditto call three times before rotating, no idea why.

Thank you for your help!

Answer 1

Unless I don't understand what you are trying to do, it's not possible without changing your template(also assuming that your template doesn't support the loop).

From your explanation it seems like you what some sort of ajax functionality. You will need 2 resources setup in the manager.

1. Your page using whatever template you have
2. Another page where you get the content for the first page from

First page is your regular page. Second is a page that uses a "blank" template and only has a Ditto call that is randomized. You will have to modify the first template to load the second page using some ajax code.