Checking for Dupes

[jwoo]

I am currently working on a cover site that uses php and mysql. This is my first attempt at a web site with php and mysql and things are great, except for one minor detail.

When a user uploads a cover I want to have the site check for a dupe. The files names are just stored in mysql and points to the images in a directory when pulled from mysql. Problem is if I check the variable with the "LIKE" command it kind of creates a problem with games that have the same word in the title and or the 2nd version of the game. If I check for the complete string it probably wont find anything. Also what if someone say uploads a cover that is named midnight.run.2.jpg and another person uploads same cover with midnite.run.2.jpg?

I guess I am looking for a good way to failsafe to check for dupes if anyone knows of any?!

Thanks .. first time poster. Great Site!

[planetsim]

You shouldnt be trying to use LIKE

Quite Simple

$check = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM tbl_name WHERE feild='filename'");
$numrows = mysql_num_rows($check);
if($numrows != 1)
{
#not a dupe
}
else
{
#File name exists
}

[jwoo]

Thanks but that goes back to my original problem if the file does not match exact it will allow the upload.. so I guess its kind of impossible to check for every possibility?!

[rheroux]

Well, if all the images are stored in the same directory, you can do something like this:

// The form has been uploaded

if($_POST['upload'])
{

$upfile_name = $_FILES['upfile']['name'];

$dir = "images/";

// if a file with that name already exists on server
if (file_exists("$dir$upfile_name"))
{
echo "Sorry, that filename has already been used!";
}

}

You would obviously still have to copy the file over still and check for empty files, but that should do the trick for duplicate filenames. And, as a bonus, there is no SQL querying involved which speeds up the script.

[redrock]

i was looking for something like this but i need it to check 2 rows in the table..The name field that has to be filled out on the form an also the email field..What i want the from to do is they have already registered with one or the other i want it to automatically take them to the thank you page