Creating static files from my database...

[WebmasterJoe]

I need to create a static html file for each row in my database. I've tried writing the code below, but haven't been successful yet. Any advice on how I might successfully create a static html file for each entry into the database?

<?php
//begin create file function

function create_file($file){
$fp = fopen($file, "a");
fclose($fp);//close file
}
//end create file function

$db = mysql_connect ("localhost", "name", "password");

mysql_select_db("dbname",$db);
$result = mysql_query("SELECT `username`, `userinfo`
FROM `users` 
WHERE `username` = '$username LIMIT 0, 30 ", $db);

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){

create_file("$row['username'].html");

}
?>

Thanks!

[Mordecai]

Why doesn't this code work? Do you get an error, or does it just not create the file? If it's the latter, try putting some data into the file, like a single space.

[WebmasterJoe]

Nope, I don't get an error. The files just aren't created.

Can you tell me how would I put some data into the files upon creation? I'm still pretty much a newbie.

[Mordecai]

function create_file($file){
  $fp = fopen($file, "a");
  fwrite($fp," ");
  fclose($fp);
}

This just puts a single space. Change the " " to whatever you want in the file. The access mode "a" for opening should make it create the file. You'd get an error if you didn't have access, so that's not the problem.

[laserlight]

I'm just wondering:
WHERE username = '$username

It appears that you do not have a closing quote, so could it be that say $username = "WebmasterJoe" makes it search for the row where username = "'WebmasterJoe"?

[WebmasterJoe]

Mordecai - Thanks

laserlight - Good observation. I originally only had a single username instead of $username, so that only one file would be created at first. I changed it to '$username just to simplify my post but forgot to add the other '.

[WebmasterJoe]

It looks like I'm making progress, but now I'm getting the following errors. I noticed that the top error is saying 'Permission denied'. Could my web host be retricting my abilities to run this script?

Warning: fopen(.html) [function.fopen]: failed to create stream: Permission denied in /path/to/my/site/file.php on line 5

Warning: fwrite(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /path/to/my/site/file.php on line 6

Warning: fclose(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /path/to/my/site/file.php on line 7

[Mordecai]

Yeah. You need to chmod the file to have write access.

[jayant]

Originally posted by WebmasterJoe
It looks like I'm making progress, but now I'm getting the following errors. I noticed that the top error is saying 'Permission denied'. Could my web host be retricting my abilities to run this script?

Warning: fopen(.html) [function.fopen]: failed to create stream: Permission denied in /path/to/my/site/file.php on line 5

Warning: fwrite(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /path/to/my/site/file.php on line 6

Warning: fclose(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /path/to/my/site/file.php on line 7

Use

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){
create_file("{$row['username']}.html");
}

Note its {$row['username']}.html not $row
['username'].html

[laserlight]

In that case it probably is simpler to use:

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
	create_file($row['username'] . '.html');
}

[WebmasterJoe]

OK, I've fixed up the code and gave the file write access. I'm not getting errors anymore, but the files still aren't being created! Can you spot anything else that I'm doing wrong?

<?php

function create_file($file){
  $fp = fopen($file, "a");
  fwrite($fp," ");
  fclose($fp);
}

$db = mysql_connect ("localhost", "name", "password");

mysql_select_db("dbname",$db);
$result = mysql_query("SELECT *
FROM `users`", $db);

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
    create_file($row['username'] . '.html');
}

?>

[jayant]

try

create_file('./' . $row['username'] . '.html');

[WebmasterJoe]

Woops, I was using the wrong variable. It works! I couldn't have done it without you guys. Thanks! =)

[WebmasterJoe]

Ok, a couple more questions...

Question #1: Can I set the script to overwrite what was previously on the files created by this script each time it's run.

Example: The script creates the file username.html and writes "hello world" to it. The next time the script is run, it overwrites "hello world" instead of making the file say "hello worldhello world"

Question #2: How can I include content from my database within the content of the files being written? I need to do something like the code below, but it obviously won't work with the way the script is currently written.

function create_file($file){
  $fp = fopen($file, "a");
  fwrite($fp,"$row['userinfo']");
  fclose($fp);
}

[laserlight]

You are currently opening the file in append mode, change it to write mode, e.g.

$fp = fopen($file, "w");

[WebmasterJoe]

Thank you Laserlight. Anyone wanna help me tackle question #2?

It would be really great if I could create the static files by calling a dynamic page, so it would be kinda like the code below (Except it would work. 😉 Obviously the code below doesn't.).

function create_file($file){
  $fp = fopen($file, "w");
  fwrite($fp,"include("template.php?user=$row['userid']")");
  fclose($fp);
}

[WebmasterJoe]

Anybody? I've tried loads of things, but just can't figure it out.