Form read/write variables to prefs file

[tsweezey]

This is probably going to scream "newbie", and if so, you'd be dead on. I have a requirement where I need to have an admin update common variables via a browser (within a secure directory). For example, I have the following variables in a file titled gvar.php which is included in each PHP page.

<?php
//global php includes
$g_url = "http://www.yoursite.com";
$g_name = "George W Bush";
$g_email = "[e-mail]";
$g_company = "Wheelright Auto";
$g_address = "1082 17th Ave";
$g_city = "Redwood City";
$g_state = "CA";
$g_zip = "94030";
$g_country = "US";
$g_phone1 = "[phone]";
$g_phone2 = "[phone]";
$g_fax = "[phone]";
?>

My inital thought was to have the user update these settings via forms. Each variable result parsed to the appropriate field on the form, then written back once changed. Am I crazy? Can someone point me in the right direction? Certainly, if you have a better way, I'd love the input.

Thanks,
Tim

[van__]

Simple as 1 2 3:

step 1: create an .ini file....

[USER_GLOBALS]
g_url = http://www.yoursite.com
g_name = George W Bush
g_email = [e-mail]
g_company = Wheelright Auto
g_address = 1082 17th Ave
g_city = Redwood City
g_state = CA
g_zip = 94030
g_country = US
g_phone1 = [phone]
g_phone2 = [phone]
g_fax = [phone]

step 2:
parse it:
<?
$ini = parse_ini_file('/path/to/inifile');
foreach($ini as $setting=>$value) { ${$setting}=$value; }
//now just call them as regular ol vars...
echo $g_city;
?>

step 3: write it
This allows you to write your user submitted inifile changes:
<?
ini_string = "[USER_GLOBALS]\n"

foreach($ini as $key) {
$ini_string .= "$key=" . $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS'][$key] . "\n";
}

$fp = fopen('/path/to/inifile','w');
fwrite($fp,$ini_string);
fclose($fp);
//and you are done.
?>

[tsweezey]

Dude you rock! Steps 1 and 2 worked great. All the variables are loading fine, and the form looks okay... but... alas : )

The form action calls for a varpost.php which contains what you wrote in step 3. I keep getting an error when submitting. Specifically, it chokes on:

ini_string = "[USER_GLOBALS]\n"

Here's the content of the varpost.php file. You'll notice the only thing I changed is the path to the ini file.

Thoughts? Again, you are making this much simpler than I thought it could be. Steps 1 and 2 worked verbatim.

<?
ini_string = "[USER_GLOBALS]\n"

foreach($ini as $key) {
$ini_string .= "$key=" . $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS'][$key] . "\n";
}

$fp = fopen('includes/glob.ini','w');
fwrite($fp,$ini_string);
fclose($fp);
//and you are done.
?>

[tsweezey]

Okay, I'm all fixed now! Much of the following repeats this thread, but I wanted to keep this in context. Again, I'm a newbie here, so if anyone see's what I could have done better, please let me know. Thanks Van for your help!

STEP ONE ------------------------------------

I setup the ini file as detailed below.

[USER_GLOBALS]
g_url = http://www.yoursite.com
g_name = George W Bush
g_email = [e-mail]
g_company = Wheelright Auto
g_address = 1082 17th Ave
g_city = Redwood City
g_state = CA
g_zip = 94030
g_country = US
g_phone1 = [phone]
g_phone2 = [phone]
g_fax = [phone]

STEP TWO ------------------------------------

I then used your suggestion for calling the variables of the ini. It's verbatim and is used on each page that needs the user variables.

<?
$ini = parse_ini_file('/path/to/inifile');
foreach($ini as $setting=>$value) { ${$setting}=$value; }
//now just call them as regular ol vars...
echo $g_city;
?>

---

This is what I did for step three on my 2nd form that actually saves the data to the ini-file.

<?

//Define my variables for the file parse
$ini=$HTTP_POST_VARS;

//Add this to the first line of my file
$ini_string = "[USER_GLOBALS]\n";

//Cycle through each key, attach quotes

foreach ($ini as $key => $value) {

//we need to strip off the last variable set by the user clicking submit
if ($key<>submit){
$ini_string .= $key ."=". "\"".$value . "\""."\n";
}

}

//write the thing!
$fp = fopen('/path/to/inifile','w');
fwrite($fp,$ini_string);
fclose($fp);
//and we are done.

?>