This is a real-world example of how tagcloud.php can be used in conjunction with a database query. The same examples are provided as for tagcloud.php, but the data is live from a query of the Smiffy's Place database. The query selects the number of posts that are associated with each category (they exist in a many-to-many relationship), the category title and URI. This is then processed and formatted in the same way as the dummy (fruit) data.
The above example gives a "Top Ten" style of output, which the author regards as being the most accessible.
The following example then adds visual weight by changing font sizes.
Below, we remove the usual visual formatting of our list, producing something more like a Tag Cloud, but still in descending order of sequence.
We now present the tags in alphabetical order, with weight being assigned purely visually, by font size. This is the least accessible result, although the weight/sequence has been added to the link title.
Comments on this may be left against the relevant blog post.