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javascriptphpjquerygoogle-image-search

How do I automatically display the first google image on my page?


I have a page that automatically retrieves two random entries from a MySQL database and asks the user to compare them every time the page is refreshed. How can I convert those two strings into the first google image result for them automatically? This is what I have so far:

<?php //I retrieve the names and group names here//
$firstpersonaName = (string) $row["personaName"];
$firstpersonaGroupName = (string) $row["groupName"];
    $firstpersonaGroupNameForGoogle = preg_split('( )', $firstpersonaGroupName);
?> //then convert any group names containing spaces into arrays here//

<?php  //then here I build the query that displays a google image page//
    $newname = '';
    foreach ($firstpersonaGroupNameForGoogle as $firstpersonaPartofGroupName) {
        $newname = $firstpersonaPartofGroupName . '+';
    }
    $newname = rtrim($newname, "+");
    echo "https://www.google.com/search?q=" . $firstpersonaName . "+" . $newname . '&tbm=isch'; 
?>

This gives me stuff like: https://www.google.com/search?q=charlie+always+sunny&tbm=isch

So how do I take that link and turn it into the link of the first image? Or any of the first couple really. (In this case: http://cdn3.denofgeek.us/sites/denofgeekus/files/sunny_0.jpg)


Solution

  • Okay so here's what I ended up doing to randomly generate two pics per query:

    First I downloaded this and added it to the same directory as the webpage: http://simplehtmldom.sourceforge.net/

    Then I simply added this PHP code in the div where I wanted the picture to show up:

    <?php
        // Include the php dom parser    
        include_once 'simple_html_dom.php';
        //build the google images query
        $newname = '';
        foreach ($firstpersonaGroupNameForGoogle as $firstpersonaPartofGroupName) {
            $newname = $firstpersonaPartofGroupName . '+';
        }
        $newname = rtrim($newname, "+");
        //echo "https://www.google.com/search?q=" . $firstpersonaName . "+" . $newname . '&tbm=isch'; 
        $newname = "https://www.google.com/search?q=" . $firstpersonaName . "+" . $newname . '&tbm=isch';
    
        //use parser on queried page
        $html = file_get_html($newname);
        //echo $html;
    
        //create an array for all pics on page
        $picarray = array();
        $picurl = '';
    
        // Find all images 
        foreach($html->find('img') as $element) {
           //echo $element->src . '<br>';
           $picurl = $element->src;
           array_push($picarray,$picurl);
        }
        //then pick two random ones
        $picurl = $picarray[array_rand($picarray)];
        echo "<img src=" . $picurl . ">";
        $picurl = $picarray[array_rand($picarray)];
        echo "<img src=" . $picurl . ">";
    
    ?>
    

    They're pretty small resolution (about 150px) but that actually works great with what I'm trying to do. If you wanted to retrieve a non-thumbnail pic that's a whole different can of worms.