Script not working. Please check

Anon

Hey. I'm a newbie to PHP and in fact this is my first script. Its not working for some reason. Its a chat room attempt. (There could just be a silly mistake like forgetting a semicolon, but like i said i'm a newbie). Oh this is just one page that opens a file then prints the files contents. The form is one the same page. Enough talking here is the script.

-----SCRIPT------------
<?php
$name = $post[name]; //get name
$message = $post[message]; //get message

fopen ("another.txt", "a"); //open file
fwrite ($name ":" $message); //write
fclose ("another.txt"); //close
?>

<FORM ACTION="muck.php" METHOD="post">//c8 form
Name: <INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="name" SIZE="15" MAXLENGTH="15" VALUE="<?php echo ($name); ?>"><BR>//get name from last page
Message: <BR><TEXTAREA COLS="50" ROWS="3" NAME="message"></TEXTAREA>
<INPUT TYPE="submit" VALUE="Send!">
</FORM>
</TABLE>
<BR>
<TABLE WIDTH="68%" BORDER="0" BGCOLOR="#000000" CELLSPACING="5" CELLPADDING="5">
<TD BGCOLOR="#AAAAAA">
<FORM>
<TEXTAREA COLS="80" ROWS="10" NAME="chat">

<?php
$message_array = fopen ("another.txt", "r");
$message_read = fread ($message_array, filesize ($message_array));
echo ($message_read);
?>

</TEXTAREA>
</FORM>
</TABLE>

----End script-------
Thankyou.

Anon

Well...
fopen requires a pointer to the file to be allocated; $fileHandle = fopen(...);, functions on the file also refer to this pointer, in this case fwrite and fclose (on the first instance).

Note that this pointer isn't the size of the file, it is a system memory address (for lack of better term), in your case use filesize("another.txt"). Also don't forget to close your file the second time

Anon

...And, if it STILL does not work, then you may be making the extremely common error of forgetting to allow read and write permissions on the file. change those permissions!

Anon

<?php
$name = $POST["name"]; //get name
$message = $POST["message"]; //get message

$fp = fopen ("another.txt", "a"); //open file
fwrite ($fp, $name . ":" . $message); //write
fclose ($fp); //close
?>

<?php
$message_array = fopen ("another.txt", "r");
$message_read = fread ($message_array, filesize ("another.txt"));
echo ($message_read);
?>

</TEXTAREA>
</FORM>
</TABLE>

The $POST array always should be in capital letters... $POST, not $_post.
An array key should be written between "... $POST["name"], not $POST[name].
filesize() uses a file name, fclose, fwrite use a file pointer.

You really should read about file function on php.net

Anon

thanks for you responses fellas. i change the script then let you konw how i good.