Display random quotes, tips, fortunes, or any text snippets on your website with each page load.
Random Text Generator reads from a text file containing multiple entries separated by delimiters and displays one entry at random each time the page loads. This simple but effective technique was popular for adding dynamic content to otherwise static HTML pages.
%%Display inspirational quotes, famous sayings, or proverbs that change with each visit.
Share random tips, fun facts, or educational snippets to engage visitors.
Recreate the Unix "fortune" command on your website with custom messages.
Rotate promotional messages, news items, or announcements on your homepage.
Show different welcome messages or greetings to make your site feel more personal.
Display random jokes, puns, or humorous content to entertain visitors.
Create a plain text file with entries separated by the %% delimiter. Each entry can be a single line or multiple lines:
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
%%
To be or not to be, that is the question.
%%
Knowledge is power.
%%
Fortune favors the bold.<blockquote>
<p>Stay hungry, stay foolish.</p>
<footer>Steve Jobs</footer>
</blockquote>
%%
<blockquote>
<p>Be the change you wish to see.</p>
<footer>Mahatma Gandhi</footer>
</blockquote>| Step | Component | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Browser | Requests a .shtml page from the server |
| 2 | Apache | Processes SSI directive: <!--#exec cgi="..."--> |
| 3 | rand_text.pl | Opens and reads the data file (e.g., quotes.txt) |
| 4 | rand_text.pl | Splits content by %% delimiter into array |
| 5 | rand_text.pl | Generates random index: rand(@entries) |
| 6 | Apache | Inserts script output into the HTML response |
<!-- In your .shtml file -->
<html>
<head>
<title>My Website</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome!</h1>
<div class="quote-box">
<h3>Quote of the Day</h3>
<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/rand_text.pl"-->
</div>
<!-- Or with custom data file -->
<div class="tip-box">
<h3>Today's Tip</h3>
<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/rand_text.pl?file=tips.txt"-->
</div>
</body>
</html>mod_include enabled and .shtml file extension (or Options +Includes for all HTML files).
#!/usr/bin/perl
# rand_text.pl - Random Text Generator
# Classic CGI Script Archive
# Configuration
$datafile = "/path/to/quotes.txt";
$delimiter = "%%";
# Seed random number generator
srand(time ^ $$);
# Read and parse the data file
open(FILE, $datafile) || die "Cannot open $datafile: $!";
$/ = undef; # Slurp mode
$content = <FILE>;
close(FILE);
# Split into entries
@entries = split(/$delimiter/, $content);
# Remove empty entries
@entries = grep { /\S/ } @entries;
# Select random entry
$random_index = int(rand(@entries));
$selected = $entries[$random_index];
# Clean up whitespace
$selected =~ s/^\s+//;
$selected =~ s/\s+$//;
# Output
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print $selected;<?php
/**
* Random Text Generator - PHP Version
* Display a random entry from a text file
*/
$datafile = 'quotes.txt';
$delimiter = '%%';
// Read file content
$content = file_get_contents($datafile);
if ($content === false) {
echo "Error reading file";
exit;
}
// Split into entries
$entries = explode($delimiter, $content);
// Filter empty entries
$entries = array_filter($entries, function($entry) {
return trim($entry) !== '';
});
// Re-index array
$entries = array_values($entries);
// Select random entry
if (count($entries) > 0) {
$random = $entries[array_rand($entries)];
echo trim($random);
} else {
echo "No entries found";
}
?>
<!-- Usage in HTML -->
<div class="quote">
<?php include 'rand_text.php'; ?>
</div>// quotes.json
{
"quotes": [
{
"text": "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.",
"author": "Lao Tzu"
},
{
"text": "To be or not to be, that is the question.",
"author": "William Shakespeare"
},
{
"text": "Knowledge is power.",
"author": "Francis Bacon"
}
]
}
// JavaScript to display random quote
async function displayRandomQuote() {
try {
const response = await fetch('/data/quotes.json');
const data = await response.json();
const quotes = data.quotes;
const randomIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * quotes.length);
const quote = quotes[randomIndex];
document.getElementById('quote-text').textContent = quote.text;
document.getElementById('quote-author').textContent = `— ${quote.author}`;
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error loading quotes:', error);
}
}
// Run on page load
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', displayRandomQuote);
// HTML
// <blockquote id="quote-text"></blockquote>
// <cite id="quote-author"></cite>
// <button onclick="displayRandomQuote()">New Quote</button>The concept of displaying random text on websites originated from the Unix fortune program, which has been part of Unix systems since the 1970s. When you logged into a Unix terminal, you might see a random quote, joke, or saying.
$ fortune
"The generation of random numbers is too important to be left to chance."
-- Robert R. CoveyouThe Random Text Generator brought this functionality to the web, allowing webmasters to add dynamic, changing content without databases or complex server configurations.
Before PHP became widespread, SSI was the primary way to add dynamic content to static HTML pages:
| SSI Directive | Purpose |
|---|---|
<!--#include file="..."--> |
Include another file |
<!--#exec cgi="..."--> |
Execute a CGI script |
<!--#echo var="..."--> |
Display server variable |
<!--#flastmod file="..."--> |
Last modification date |
The Unix fortune database contains over 20,000 quotes covering everything from literature to computer science jokes!
Many Unix users added fortune to their .bashrc file so they'd see a random quote every time they opened a terminal!
Today there are many ways to display random content, from simple JavaScript to dedicated quote APIs.
Use native JavaScript with JSON data files. No libraries needed, full control over presentation.
Open-source REST API with 2000+ quotes. Returns random quotes with author attribution.
Inspirational quotes API with thousands of curated quotes from famous people.
Display random quotes with shortcodes and widgets.
FreeAnimated quote display with transitions.
Free + ProCustomer testimonials with random display.
Free + ProSidebar widget with daily changing quotes.
Free| Feature | Perl/SSI (1990s) | Modern Solutions (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Source | Plain text file with delimiters | JSON, API, database, CMS |
| Rendering | Server-side only | Client-side or server-side |
| Caching | None (new request each time) | Browser cache, CDN, service workers |
| Animation | None | CSS transitions, fade effects |
| Refresh | Page reload required | AJAX, instant updates |
| Management | Edit text file manually | Admin UI, CMS integration |
| Metadata | Plain text only | Author, date, category, tags |
Random Text Generator is available in several archive formats:
rand_text.pl - Main CGI scriptquotes.txt - Sample data fileREADME - Installation instructions%% delimiter. Each entry can be a single line or span multiple lines. For example:
First quote here. %% Second quote here. %% Third quote with multiple lines.The script will read this file, split it by the
%% delimiter, and randomly select one entry to display.
<b>, <i>, <blockquote>, or even entire HTML structures. This allows for rich formatting of quotes with attribution, images, or styling.
<!--#exec cgi="..."--> directive executes a CGI script and includes its output. SSI requires Apache's mod_include module and typically uses .shtml file extensions. For modern websites, PHP or JavaScript are more common alternatives.