order files and open the last one

[Anon]

Hi,
I've several text files created, I want to order them by creation date and after I want that my index.php opens only the last one, how can I do?

Thanks in advance

[vsego]

From PHP manual: "There is no creation time for Unix files in most Unix filesystems". The closest to what you want would be this (written by heart, not tested - may have bugs):

$last = array(0, ""); // 2 items: time and name
$d = opendir($path);
while ($f = readdir($d))
// check extension - may be omitted if all files have ".txt" extension and
// there are no subdirs, but then you have to add if() for "." and ".." names
// (these are directories - you can use is_file() function
if (eregi(".txt$", $f)) {
$ctime = filectime("$path/$f");
if ($ctime > $last[0]) {
$last[0] = $ctime;
$last[1] = $f;
}
closedir($d);

Now, use file $path."/".$f as you wish.

If creation time is important to be exactly that (check manual for filectime() to see exactly what it returns), you'll have to log time creation for all your text files in some database or text file.

Good luck

[Anon]

I Thank you,
I haven't yet tried your suggestion (I will do tomorrow), but can I add another thing to the question (that maybe can be do more easily).

The txt files that I want to order are in this format:
texta1.txt, texta2.txt, texta3.txt and so on.
Obviously the txt file with the higher number is the last created.

I want to ask you if now, with this information (my fault not to add this in the first question) is easier to do the operation.

Thank

[vsego]

Sure. :-)

$i = 0;
while (file_exists("/path/texta".(++$i).".txt")) ;

Now, "texta$i.txt" will be the next to be created. You can then, obviously, get the last one created as "texta".($i - 1).".txt" (or just use $i--; and then "texta$i.txt").

Bye,