How does Views contextual filters work?

Question

I'm trying to wrap my head around contextual filters again! I used it a while back but I just got totally stumped again. Here's what I'm trying to do:

1. Generate a cloned content node page with taxonomy terms inserted into this cloned page.

ex.: EXAMPLE.com/white-shoes/blue

When a user reaches the /white-shoes page it will show the original node page geared toward the white color. Now if the user lands on /white-shoes/blue it will show the same node page, but this time all of the body content will be rewritten replacing the white color with blue color.

In Views I would have to create a Page display with the path of: %/%

Now I would create a contextual filter to retrieve the nid. I add Content: nid as a contextual filter. I pick PROVIDE A DEFAULT VALUE and I put in this PHP code:

$x = drupal_lookup_path('source', arg(0));

$y = explode('/', $x);

return $y1;

That PHP code basically converts the /white-shoes part of the URL into a NID. But it doesnt work. I tested the code via drush ev via the terminal and I indeed get a returned result, so i know it works.

I do the same for the taxonomy term name and add a contextual filter for that aswell. This time I pick PROVIDE A DEFAULT VALUE and select RAW VALUE FROM URL and select the 2nd argument.

As you can see when I input a PREVIEW VALUE for the contextual filter: AAA/BBB/CCC . My default value gets ignored. It's supposed to be grabbing the 2nd argument, but it's getting the 1st only. Look at the SQL statement WHERE and you'll see it's getting AAA when it should be BBB.

So the question is what am I doing wrong or is there a better solution to what I want to accomplish?

Answer 1

Here's a video and its related article that'll explain you how to use them, the example uses Pets (Dogs, Cats) which may be a simple enough example to help understand how to use Views Contextual Filters.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJFMTDuaxy8 (YouTube video short-url: lJFMTDuaxy8)

ARTICLE: http://www.metaltoad.com/blog/using-drupal-contextual-filters-views

Answer 2

Contextual Filter is used to filter ,output of the view by URL arguments, also u can pass the arguments manually in this format:

<?php print views_embed_view($name,$display_id,$arg1,$arg2,$arg3); ?>

where "$name" is the name of your view (ex. 'example_view') and '$display_id' is the display type of your view (ex. 'default') and "$arg1,$arg2,$arg3" are arguments just like in URL.

URL arguments has the following structure:

http://example.com/arg_1/arg_2/arg_3 (arg_2 has the path component 2 (in view setting page)).

When the filter value is not availabe:

it means drupal can't find any filter.

Provide default value:

when the filter value is not available you can use this option to to creat a filter for views output, this filter can be PHP code (if PHP filter module enabled) or it can get it's value from the URL arguments--> (Raw value from url). The Exception textbox allows you to cheat the value and display all results.

When the filter value is available

in this case you do a validation as your needs and some other options, when drupal can find the filter value.