Running PHP script in a loop

jasonmartin

I am trying to get a script to run multiple times over in a loop. Below is the code I am using:


<?

$i = 1;
while ($i <= 10) {
    include 'player.php';

}

?>

The results are not predictable. When I call the php script that has this code, sometimes nothing happens; sometimes it adds runs the script 40 or more times before timing out by PHP.

I've also tried the following which has generated similar, strange results:


$i = 1;
while ($i <= 5):
    include 'player.php';
    $i++; /* I've also had this line in front of the include line */
endwhile;

Any ideas?

devinemke

what's in player.php?

Weedpacket

Indeed, is there an $i?

Easier to work with would be

for($i=0; $i<10; $i++)
{
include 'player.php';
}

But still, if player.php messes with the value of $i you'll be in trouble.

jasonmartin

The player.php file did use the $i as a variable, so I changed my script to the one as suggested by Weedpacket & changed the variable to $a which is not being used in player.php. Below is my updated script:

for($a=0; $a<10; $a++)

{
include 'player.php';
}

When calling the code above it only runs the player.php one time. I ran the script above two times, and each time it only ran the player.php one time.

Thanks for you help in advance.

Weedpacket

What does player.php actually do? Open any database connections etc., (not a lot of point doing that inside a loop, I suppose...) - call exit() or die() at all (nah, it would've only run once before as well) - define any functions (can't do that more than once)?

jasonmartin

Well player.php is a script that generates some random numbers & other similar work & also calls the skill_brkdwn.php script.

At the end of all of the processing in player.php & the included skill_brkdwn.php it then inserts a row into the database. It works fine when calling player.php directly because it is only processing one time, but when I run it in the loop in doesn't work.

One thing more that I found out because I had the mysql_errno commented out is that it is trying to insert the first row 9 more times & the database gives a '1062: Duplicate entry' error because I have a unique index on three of the columns in the table.

Below is the code to all of the scripts invloved in this routine:

[B]load_players.php[/B] 
<?

include 'db_vars.php';

for($a=0; $a<10; $a++)

{
include 'player.php';

}

?>

[B]db_vars.php[/B] 
<?

$dbuser = 'xxxxxxxx';
$dbhost = 'localhost';
$dbpass = 'xxxxxxxx';
$dbname = 'hawghats_football';
$mysql_link = mysql_connect($dbhost,$dbuser,$dbpass) or die(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db($dbname) or die(mysql_error());

?>

[B]player.php[/B] 
<?
srand(time());
for ($i = 0; $i < 6; $i++)
 {
  $rnum[$i] = (rand(10,99)%100)+1;
  $tmpvar = $rnum[$i];
   for ($count = 0; $count < $i; $count ++)
    {
     if ($tmpvar == $rnum[$count])
      {
       $rnum[$count] = (rand()%100)+1;
       $count = 0;
      }
    }
 }

$first_name_id = (rand(1,1219));
$last_name_id = (rand(1,32767));
$month = (rand(1,12));
if ($month == 2) {
                $day = (rand(1,28));
                }
elseif (($month == 4) || ($month == 6) || ($month == 9) || ($month == 11)) {
                $day = (rand(1,30));
                }
else {
        $day = (rand(1,31));
     }

$pos = (rand(1,10000));
$age = (rand(1,10000));

$query = "SELECT first_name FROM first_name where id=$first_name_id";
$query_result_handle = mysql_query ($query) or die($query."<br>Error:".mysql_error());

$query2 = "SELECT last_name FROM last_name where id=$last_name_id";
$query_result_handle2 = mysql_query ($query2) or die($query2."<br>Error:".mysql_error());

$query3 = "SELECT position FROM position where id=$pos";
$query_result_handle3 = mysql_query ($query3) or die($query3."<br>Error:".mysql_error());

$query4 = "SELECT age FROM age where id=$age";
$query_result_handle4 = mysql_query ($query4) or die($query4."<br>Error:".mysql_error());

while ($row = mysql_fetch_row ($query_result_handle))
{
$final_first=$row[0];
}

while ($row2 = mysql_fetch_row ($query_result_handle2))
{
$final_last=$row2[0];
}

while ($row3 = mysql_fetch_row ($query_result_handle3))
{
$final_pos=$row3[0];
    include ('skill_brkdwn.php');

}

while ($row4 = mysql_fetch_row ($query_result_handle4))
{
$final_age=$row4[0];
$year_final=(2002 - $final_age);
$dob = $year_final."-".$month."-".$day;
}

$result=MYSQL_QUERY("INSERT INTO players VALUES ('','$final_first','$final_last','$dob','','$final_pos',$final_sp,$final_ac,$final_ag,$final_st,$final_ha,$final_en,$final_in,$final_di)");
echo mysql_errno().": ".mysql_error()."<BR>";

?>

I couldn't include the skill_brkdwn.php because of the message length limit. I will reply to this reply immediately with the code in it.

jasonmartin

The file is acutally a little too big for the message limit so I have attached it to this reply.

I know my coding method probably is about as crappy as it gets, but it looks like it should work (the overall process started by load_players.php).

jasonmartin

Any ideas?

jasonmartin

I am pulling my hair out over this. I know that the load_players.php script (See an earlier post in the thread) isn't the issue because if I comment out the include & issue a print a$, it prints 1 through 10 as expected.

So I know that the problem has to be with the last part of my player.php script (See an earlier post in the thread) because the SQL insert is inserting the record once & then trying to insert that same record 9 more times.

I've tried removing the SQL insert statement out of the player.php script & placing after the include in the load_players.php script, but I get the same result.

I double-checked all of the scripts involved & all of the variables are only used once throughout the scripts.

Any ideas what I've done wrong.

jasonmartin

Anybody have any idea?

Maybe there is a different way to accomplish what I am doing. If so, any ideas how?

It just doesn't make any sense to me why it doesn't work.

Thanks in advance.

wilsonodk

You've answered your own question...

player.php is your culprit. Why not include db_vars.php into players.php and skip the need for load_players altogether.

What is the end result that you want? We may be able to help then.

jasonmartin

Thanks for the response, I could easily put the db_vars.php in the player.php script & eliminate the need for load_players.php.

Since we have come to the conclusion that player.php is the culprit; what's wrong with the script.

I want it to insert into the table 1 to whatever number of rows based on the number I set in the for section of load_players.php.

Thanks in advacnce for any help.

wilsonodk

Well...
First - place the 10 (or what ever number you want) values you want to place into the database into an array.

Second - Iterate through the array, each time creating a new query string and then submitting that to the database.

You were on the right track with what you were doing, however the language won't let you do it that way.

Also, in PHP>=4.2.0 you don't need to call srand().
And, you certainly don't (or better) didn't need to call it more than once.

HTH

ps-give us an idea of what you are trying to accomplish, and we'll look to see why it isn't working out that way.

jasonmartin

Here is what I am trying to do:

Randomly generate variables (based on data in the database) for multiple columns in a table & then insert those variables as a row in that table.

The player.php script works fine if I run it by itself.

But, when I try to have the script run say 10 times via the for loop, it just tries to enter the first set of variables 10 times into the table, which gives me a unique key error in the database.

I want it to create a new set of variables each time & enter a new row in the table each time through the player.php script.

As I said the player.php script worked fine & I just wanted to automate running the script so I wouldn't have to run it manually or through cron hundreds of times. That is the reason I created load_plyaers.php script with the for loop.

jasonmartin

Does anybody have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.