PHP - News Script Help

[Anon]

I have been making a PHP news script. I would like each entry to be in its own file. The question is how do I have the PHP precessor check to make sure that the filename is not already in use.

For instance, the first entry is 1.txt the second entry is 2.txt, and so on and so forth. After working with many do, while, and if statements, I have yet to figure out how to have the processor check and give the news entry the next consecutive number.

Question 2:

Let's say that I have a text file that looks like this:

username
password
dateposted

post

How do I read this all in to something like an array so that the username becomes $username, and password becomes $password, etc.

Question 3 (quick):

How do I use PHP to delete a text file totally.

Thanks in advance!
Embermage

[rrijnders]

Embermage wrote:

I have been making a PHP news script. I would like each entry to be in its own file. The question is how do I have the PHP precessor check to make sure that the filename is not already in use.

For instance, the first entry is 1.txt the second entry is 2.txt, and so on and so forth. After working with many do, while, and if statements, I have yet to figure out how to have the processor check and give the news entry the next consecutive number.

Use readdir() to put the file names in your news directory into an array,
http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/function.readdir.php
sort() the array
parse the last name to see what number it is

you could also use file_exists()
http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/function.file-exists.php
to see if your chosen name is already there

Question 2:

Let's say that I have a text file that looks like this:

username
password
dateposted

post

How do I read this all in to something like an array so that the username becomes $username, and password becomes $password, etc.

You can use fgets() to read each line from the file and
assign it to your varaibles (easy if your file structures
are the same all the time. See:
http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/function.fgets.php

Question 3 (quick):

How do I use PHP to delete a text file totally.

http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/function.unlink.php

Thanks in advance!
Embermage

There are LOTS of cool file function in php:
http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/ref.filesystem.php

-- Rich Rijnders
-- Irvine, CA US