Making a Variable using "if" and working with Empty Variables

Question

<?php
// Attributes
extract( shortcode_atts(
    array(
        'postid' => '',
        'ptitle' => '',
    ), $atts )
);

$postid = $atts['postid'];
$ptitle = $atts['ptitle'];


if(!empty($ptitle)){
    echo 'Whoops! Looks like went wrong here!';
}
else
{
    if($postid == false)
    {
        echo '<span class="ptitle">$ptitle</span>';
    }
    else
    {
        echo '<span class="ptitle"><a href="site.com/$postid">$ptitle</a></span>';
    }
}

I'm trying to have my code do the following

1. Display an error message if $ptitle is empty

(This is where I need help)

2- That if another value is empty, it echo this <span class="ptitle">$ptitle</span>

3- If the other value ($postid) has something in it then it echoes <span class="ptitle"><a href="site.com/$postid">$ptitle</a></span>

However I just don't understand enough empty values and "false" to create this correctly

Answer 1

If you want it to display if something is "empty", you're using the wrong method with if(!empty($ptitle)){ you're telling it if it is NOT empty.

The ! is a negation character which translates as not.

You need to use if(empty)

Plus, you also need to echo while inside PHP.

Another thing, your $ptitle will not echo while inside single quotes.

Use the following:

Sidenote: You may want to change if($postid == false) to if($postid == true)

<?php
// Attributes

    extract( shortcode_atts(
        array(
            'postid' => '',
            'ptitle' => '',
        ), $atts )
    );

$postid = $atts['postid'];
$ptitle = $atts['ptitle'];


    if(empty($ptitle)){
       echo "Whoops! Looks like went wrong here!";
       }else{ 
       if($postid == false) {
            echo "<span class=\"ptitle\">$ptitle</span>";
        } else { 
            echo "<span class=\"ptitle\"><a href=\"site.com/$postid\">$ptitle</a></span>";
        }
       }

You can also try:

<?php
// Attributes
    extract( shortcode_atts(
        array(
            'postid' => '',
            'ptitle' => '',
        ), $atts )
    );

$postid = $atts['postid'];
$ptitle = $atts['ptitle'];

    if(empty($ptitle)){
       echo "Whoops! Looks like went wrong here!";
       }

       if(empty($postid)) {
            echo "<span class=\"ptitle\">$ptitle</span>";
        }

       if(!empty($postid)) { 
            echo "<span class=\"ptitle\"><a href=\"site.com/$postid\">$ptitle</a></span>";
        }