I give up

I give up, what's wrong with this code?

$myFile = 'v/'.$video_id.'.txt';
$fh = fopen($myFile, 'w') or die("can't open file");
$stringData = "<?php\n";
fwrite($fh, $stringData);
$stringData = "/$views = /"0/"\n";
fwrite($fh, $stringData);
$stringData = "?>\n";
fwrite($fh, $stringData);
fclose($fh);

Code (markup):

I am trying to write a flat file, and I believe my code is right.

I can't use:

$stringData = "$views = "0" \n";

..because you can't put a $ inside a quote.

I can't use:

$stringData = '$views = "0" \n';

..because then the \n wont work (it only works inside a quote).

So, I have to use:

$stringData = "/$views = /"0/"\n";

..but then I get this error:

Notice: Undefined variable: views

PHP should not see it as a variable, that is why I put the bloomin' / on front of it!

ARGH!

..what's going on?

Maybe I am just tired.

 

Using string concatenation:

$stringData = '$views = "0"; ' . "\n";

PHP:

In PHP the escape character is \ not /, you probably wanted:

$stringData = "\$views = \"0\"; \n";

PHP:

You can also use the PHP constant for newline:

$stringData = '$views = "0"; ' . PHP_EOL;

PHP:

 

ok, I am tired. I was using forward slashes instead of backslashes.

*uppercuts self*

Thanks heaps!

 

My question would be why the extra variable for nothing? Why are you even using double quotes?

$myFile = 'v/' . $video_id . '.txt';
$fh = fopen($myFile, 'w') or die("can't open file");
fwrite($fh, '<?php $views = "0"; ?>');
fclose($fh);

Code (markup):

NOT that self modifying code is a good idea in the first place. Letting your php write code to be executed is a BIG security hole. (I should know, bit me in the ass about two years ago)

 

I am saving that code to a PHP file, using it as a flatfile database, because I don't know how to make a MySQL database. Basically, I am making a script where each time someone views a page, their view count goes up for their session, which tells me whether I want to reward them.

 

I would HIGHLY suggest storing that as data, not executable code. Executing it is just asking for somewhere sometime having a code execution. Look up fgets and fputs for writing single lines to a file -- since PHP is string neutral you can just read and write it, without executing it via include/require.

Though a database would be a better choice since it would be faster on doing lookups and you wouldn't have the risk that if you get too many users you hit up against filesystem limits. (since every file on *nix basically sucks down an iNode, and don't even get me STARTED about winblows)

 

I know a MySQL database is better, but I get confused. I know how to set a MySQL database up and I know what tables and columns are and generally how they work, but I get stuck when it comes to writing the code to manipulate the database. I've tried to do it before, but I end up with a horrid broken mess that I don't understand. Maybe I can just use the flat file database until I make enough money from the script to have someone make a MySQL version? I don't think the average person using my site would know that I am not using MySQL. However, I do appreciate and agree with your comments.

 

I want to store it on a file, because other users with different sessions will also be accessing their file, to see if they have a priority over that user. I am really thinking about making a MySQL database, but the way I know how to do it will take me a day. If I try to make a MySQL database I will have to pay someone hundreds of dollars (which I don't have), or sit here for weeks trying ton figure oot how to do it. I want this script done by today, because that's all the time I have. Then, as I work over the coming weeks, I can test whether my idea worked and is worth investing into. I guessz one could say I am making a mock-up version.

 

I am going to use sessions and cookies, but for the views of how many pages they have views, I need to store it on a file in a directory which will be compared to other peoples files. I don't have a CMS installed.

 

I am contemplating the idea on creating a database. Can anyone give me their two cents on how hard it would be to make:

Table: username

Column: views, category

Basically my script counts how many times a person has loaded a page. It ads 1 view to the "database" each time you view a page.

This is done for every site visitor, under a username that they entered.

I have written a script already which looks into the fatfile category of all the usernames, and randomly displays another users details, depending on how many "views" that user has made. Basically, the more a user views other peoples details, the more their own will be shown.

Is it hard to create a table that allows this, and ads "1" view to the database under their username, each time they load a new page?

 

ok stuff it, I am going to try and make it with a MySQL database.

I can already see myself uppercutting myself in 3 hours

 

ok, I am currently trying to figure out how to generate a new user table:

Think this page will hep me:

http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_mysql_create.asp

I do have a vague idea, I just suck is all.

 

ok, I have created he dababase in cPanel
I seem to have used PHP to execute the action of generating a user table, with the columns of video, category, views:

$con=mysqli_connect("localhost","xxxx","xxxx","xxxx");
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_errno())
  {
  echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
  }

// Create table
$sql="CREATE TABLE Videos(Video CHAR(30),Category CHAR(30),Views INT)";

// Execute query
if (mysqli_query($con,$sql))
  {
  echo "Table videos created successfully";
  }
else
  {
  echo "Error creating table: " . mysqli_error($con);
  }
   
exit;

Code (markup):

Now I have to figure out how to write some code which says:

$_SESSION['video'] = "hgjgfjhgfjh"; #this is a youtube video id
$_SESSION['category'] = "hgjgfjhgfjh"; #this is a youtube video id

#==on page load

Insert 1 extra view into the views column of $_SESSION['video'], and add "comedy" into the $_SESSION['category'] column also.

So I will end up with:

VIDEOS #table
hgjgfjhgfjh | 1 | comedy #columns

If anyone can enlighten me on how to accomplish the above, please do.. because I have pretty much no idea at all.

 

Hmmm.. just referring to that tutorial page again:

Primary Keys and Auto Increment Fields
Each table in a database should have a primary key field.

A primary key is used to uniquely identify the rows in a table. Each primary key value must be unique within the table. Furthermore, the primary key field cannot be null because the database engine requires a value to locate the record.

The following example sets the PID field as the primary key field. The primary key field is often an ID number, and is often used with the AUTO_INCREMENT setting. AUTO_INCREMENT automatically increases the value of the field by 1 each time a new record is added. To ensure that the primary key field cannot be null, we must add the NOT NULL setting to the field:

$sql = "CREATE TABLE Persons
(
PID INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
PRIMARY KEY(PID),
FirstName CHAR(15),
LastName CHAR(15),
Age INT
)";

Code (markup):

I totally don't understand what that is on about.

Should I add this code to my script (to match my own values)?

$sql = "CREATE TABLE Videos
(
PID INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
PRIMARY KEY(PID),
Video CHAR(15),
Category CHAR(15),
Views INT
)";

Code (markup):

..I don't really know what it will do, but the "fifth force" is telling me it is necessary (or they wouldn't have it on the tutorial page).

 

Ok, this code has done the trick:

if (mysqli_connect_errno())
  {
  echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
  }

$sql="INSERT INTO Videos (Video, Category, Views)
VALUES
('$video_id','$video_category',1)";

if (!mysqli_query($con,$sql))
  {
  die('Error: ' . mysqli_error($con));
  }
echo "1 record added";

mysqli_close($con);
 
exit;

Code (markup):

Now, the problem is that if I submit it 3 times, it gets added 3 times to the database.

ie:

7DJU3ry0GkQ | comedy | 1
7DJU3ry0GkQ | comedy | 1
7DJU3ry0GkQ | comedy | 1


Now what would prefer is:

7DJU3ry0GkQ | comedy | 3

Can anyone help me with that?

 

I don't really understand it,but I think my answer lies here somewhere:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2219786/best-way-to-avoid-duplicate-entry-into-mysql-database

 

Change the create query to remove the other unused fields and making what you need primary:

$sql = "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `videos` (
  `Video` char(15) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
  `Category` char(15) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
  `Views` int(11) DEFAULT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`Video`,`Category`)
)";

PHP:

Then your sql (assuming you are escaping video_id and video_category:

$sql="
INSERT INTO videos (`Video`, `Category`, `Views`) VALUES ('$video_id', '$video_category', 1) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `Views` = `Views` + 1";

PHP: