is_link() function

Anon

I have some code that generates symbolic links to files for download. It first does some directory manipulation and so forth, then checks if the link exists already. It's supposed to then not try to create the link, but for some reason it tries anyway I use the code:
if(is_link(somepathtofile)) go on
else create the symlink

This code is doing the else clause even when the symlink exists. I've checked the typing char to char, and they are identical, I even inserted code to say "Just checked for symlink at... then create the symlink, but it doesn't seem to recognize the link. I've done this exact thing before without trouble. Has anyone ever run into this before??

Anon

1) If your on a Windoze system, this function doesn't work
2) If the file/link is dynamic and may appear dissapear between script invocations, you probably have to use clearstatcache() so that the file/link information is refreshed on the next check, otherwise you are getting old information.

-- Rich

Anon

Tried clearstatcache(); and it still is giving me the Warning: SymLink failed (file exists) for .....

Here's the code.
if ($getpathinfo[0]=="Y") {
$linkarray=explode("/",$getpathinfo[1]);
if(is_dir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate")) echo "DE";
else { mkdir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate", 0755);
} if(is_dir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir")) echo "DE";
else { mkdir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir", 0755);
}
clearstatcache(); if(is_link("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir/$linkarray[1]")) echo "LE";
else {
echo "Checked for link at /usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir/$linkarray[1]\n";
symlink("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/cantshowyouthis/$getpathinfo[1]", "/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir/$linkarray[1]");
}
echo "<a href=\"products/$dirdate/$namedir/$linkarray[1]\">$getpathinfo[2]</a><br>\n";
}
else {
echo "\n";
}

Hope that survives the post. Anyway Some of the echos are there for debugging. All of the directory creation works, but the symlink checking does not. Am I missing something simple, I've been over this sooo many times.

Anon

You might try concatenating the path information into a variable and then using the variable as the argument in the is_link() function. My idea is that php is interpreting the $namedir/$linkarray[1] part of the path as an evaluation (division) instead of interpreting them as string segments to be concatenated.

-- let me know --

-- Rich

Anon

That made sense. I tried it, it didn't work :-(.

Here's the code now.

if ($getpathinfo[0]=="Y") {
$linkarray=explode("/",$getpathinfo[1]);
if(is_dir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate")) echo "";
else {
mkdir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate", 0755);
}
if(is_dir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir")) echo "";
else {
mkdir("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir", 0755);
}
clearstatcache();
$setlink="/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/$dirdate/$namedir/$linkarray[1]";
if(is_link("$setlink")) echo "";
else {
echo "Checked for link at $setlink\n";
symlink("/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/cantshowthis/$getpathinfo[1]", "$setlink");
}
echo "<a href=\"products/$dirdate/$namedir/$linkarray[1]\">$getpathinfo[2]</a><br>\n";
}
else {
echo "";
}

Any other thoughts? This is driving me nuts.

Anon

try:

$setlink="/usr/www/audiofai/httpd/htdocs/shopcart/products/".$dirdate."/".$namedir."/".$linkarray[1];

Anon

Nope, that didn't work either. I generates the links properly based on the var $setlink but the is_link function in the IF clause using the same var doesn't see it. It's really not making any sense to me. I have an almost identical situation that does this and works just fine, so I am truly perplexed.

Anon

OK I feel like an idiot. The is_link was all formatted properly, but the path it was linking to was not so the file didn't exist. So if a symlink is placed to a file that doesn't exist the is_link function does not see it. Well it's fixed. Thanks for the help.