PHP in helper module. How to format directory string to access images

Question

I wanted a Joomla extension which would (among other things) allow me to show a different image for every day of the month but couldn't find one.

So I decided to learn PHP to do the job. I wrote some code which works perfectly under WAMP as PHP using:

$handle = opendir(dirname(realpath(__FILE__)).$imagedir) or die ("cannot open directory");  

However when I use this in Metamod etc I get an opendir function error.

Please explain how I should reformat this for Joomla 3.

Answer 1

A bit more code (what is behind $imagedir, what is the way of ouput) would help.

Just a shot in the blue:

$img = JPATH_SITE.'/images/someFolder/'.date('d',time()).'.jpg'; // absolute path

$img = __DIR__.'/someFolder'.date('d',time()).'.jpg'; // abs. path relative to current file

$imgContent = filet_get_contents($img);

As relative src url:

 $img = JURI::base().'images/someFolder/'.date('d',time()).'.jpg';
 // http://domain.com/images/someFolder/27.jpg

Answer 2

JFolder is used to get the contents of a directory within Joomla, presuming that is what you are trying to do with that line of code.

Methods here: https://docs.joomla.org/API17:JFolder