variable assistance please!!!

[mmcdermo_php]

First off, I greatly appreciate anyone willing to help.Something very odd is happening in my script. When I compare two variables that match it is supposed to say hiya. I am sure that both variables match, however , hiya is never echoed.😕 does anyone have an answer to this?
And here is where you can see the source:

findtest.php:

<?

$times=0;

//sets the function that runs through the article DB

function check($section_num, $this_row, $times)

{

$indexed = "indexed.php";

$filename="$indexed";

$file=fopen($filename, "r");

$contents=fread($file, filesize("$filename"));

$this_row = explode('*/*', $contents);

$section_num = count($this_row);

if($times <= $section_num)

{

$this_column = explode('|', $this_row[$times]);

$looking_for=scinews;

if($this_column[0]==$looking_for)

{

echo "hiya<br>";

$times++;

check($section_num, $this_row, $times);

}

else

{

echo "$looking_for does not equal $this_column[0]<br>";

$times++;

check($section_num, $this_row, $times);

}

}

}

check($section_num, $this_row, $times);

?>

indexed.php:

scinews4|ME ME ME|hello

*/*

scinews3|ME ME ME|hello

*/*

scinews10|ME ME ME|hello

*/*

scinews|ME ME ME|hegdfsdasasdfo

*/*

scinews9|ME ME ME|hello

*/*

scinews1|ME ME ME|hello

Any help would be appreciated.. THX, Morgan

[MeX]

hi mmcdermo_php!!

try this:

function check($section_num, $this_row, $times) {
  $indexed = "indexed.php";
  $filename="$indexed";
  $file=fopen($filename, "r");
  $contents=fread($file, filesize("$filename"));
  $this_row_tmp = explode('*/\*', $contents);
  reset($this_row_tmp);
  while(list($key, $value) = each($this_row_tmp)) {
    $this_row[$key] = trim($value);
  }

  $section_num = count($this_row);
  if($times <= $section_num) {
    $this_column = explode('|', $this_row[$times]);
    $looking_for= 'scinews';
    if($this_column[0]==$looking_for) {
      echo "hiya<br>";
      $times++;
      check($section_num, $this_row, $times);
    } else {
      echo "$looking_for does not equal $this_column[0]<br>";
      $times++;
      check($section_num, $this_row, $times);
    }
  }
}

hope that helps!!

ceeyaa.MeX

[mmcdermo_php]

Thx, that helped alot. However I am the curious type... So I would like to know what exactly is going on in this statement:

  $this_row_tmp = explode('*/*', $contents);
  reset($this_row_tmp);
  while(list($key, $value) = each($this_row_tmp)) {
    $this_row[$key] = trim($value);
  }

[MeX]

at first let me know, if i'm right if i say:

the separator in your indexed.php is "/*"!?
data01
/*
data02
*/*
data03
etc

it would be better to use just the newline
data01
data02
data03
//******* EDITED ****//
NO ... you're right!! the data might be broken to a new line!!
dat
a01
/*
data02
/*
data03
etc
my solution would cause much probs!!
//**** EDITED *******//

by exploding at "*/*" you got some array-values which are 'dirty' ( e.g. a newline)!!

paste that code after the
$this_row_tmp = explode('*/*', $contents);

echo "<pre>this_row_tmp ==> "; print_r($this_row_tmp); echo "</pre>";

then you'll see what i mean!!

so, i'm going through the tmp array and clean the strings!!

it might be good to do the same with the second array as well!!

ceeyaa.MeX