Reading Array from txt file into fields

monk_builder

I'm working on a form that writes on to a flat text file.
The form has 3 fields where the user may enter data

I'm using a loop to collect the values entered and to
write them into a text file.

Then the form has to read the text file and sort the
data (by item or amount) depending on the user's choice.

The problem is on the way the data retrieved displays:

I enter the following values:
+-----------------------------+
Item - Amount
+------------------------------+
Home - 100

Gas - 300

The result:
+-----------------------------+
Item - Amount
+------------------------------+
Home - 100

Home - 100

As you can see the values are being repeated
and the value containing "Gas" and "300" are
being ignored.

Question:
can someone recommedn a way to fix this?

Thank you in advance.

Dmonk

--------Entire Code follows: -----------


<html>
<head>
  <title>Tester</title>
</head>

<body style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: blue;">

<h1>One Column Example</h1>

<form method=post>

<b>Sort Order: </b>

<?php
$order = $HTTP_POST_VARS['order'];

switch($order)
{
	case 'desc' :
		print "Ascending <input type=radio name=order value=asc>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";
		print "Descending <input type=radio name=order value=desc checked>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";
		break;

default :
	print "Ascending <input type=radio name=order value=asc checked>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";
	print "Descending <input type=radio name=order value=desc>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";
	break;
}

?>
<br><br>

<table>

<tr>
<th>Item</th>
<th>period</th>
<th>amount</th>
</tr>

<?php

//*************************************************
//Write out records with data if they exist.
//*************************************************

$action = $HTTP_POST_VARS['action'];


if ($action == 'update')
{

@ $fp = fopen("test.txt", 'w');    //Open for Write

$write_ctr = 1;

while (true)
{
	$item_name = 'source'."$write_ctr";
	$item_value = $HTTP_POST_VARS[$item_name];

	$period_name = 'period'."$write_ctr";
	$period_value = $HTTP_POST_VARS[$period_name];

	$amount_name = 'amount'."$write_ctr";
	$amount_value = $HTTP_POST_VARS[$amount_name];


	if (empty($item_value)) {
		break;
	}

	if (empty($amount_value)) {
		break;
	}

	// Write out value to file
	$outline = "$item_value*$period_value*$amount_value*\n";
	fwrite($fp, $outline);

	$write_ctr++;
}

fclose($fp);

}

//*************************************************
//Now Read Bills and Load and Sort Array
//*************************************************

$err_cnt = 0;
$read_ctr = 1;

$lines = array();

@ $fp = fopen("test.txt", 'r');    //Open file for reading

if ($fp)
{

while (true)
{

	$line = fgets($fp,200);

	if (feof($fp)) 
	{
		break;
	}

	$order = $sorter;

	$fields  = explode('*', $line);
		$item_read = $fields[0];
		$period_read = $fields[1];
		$amount_read = $fields[2];

	$new_line = "$item_value*$period_value*$amount_value*\n";
	//add sorter if the user wants to sort by amount

	array_push($lines, $new_line);



	$read_ctr++;
   }

if ($order == 'desc') 
	{
	rsort($lines);  //sort in reverse order
} 
	else {
			sort($lines);

		 }

}

//*************************************************
//Now Read Sorted Array and Display
//*************************************************

$err_cnt = 0;
$array_ctr = 1;


foreach ($lines as $one_line)
{


$new_line = explode("*", $one_line);
	$item_read = $fields[0];
	$period_read = $fields[1];
	$amount_read = $fields[2];


$item_name = 'source'."$array_ctr";
$period_name = 'period'."$array_ctr";
$amount_name = 'amount'."$array_ctr";


print '<tr>';
print "<td><input type=text name=$item_name value=$item_read></td>\n";
print "<td><input type=text name=$period_name value=$period_read></td>\n";
print "<td><input type=text name=$amount_name value=$amount_read></td>\n";
print "<td>";

print '</tr>';

$array_ctr++;
}


//*************************************************
//Now write the blank lines
//*************************************************


for ($i = $array_ctr; $i < $array_ctr + 2; $i++)
{

$item_name = 'source'."$i";
$period_name = 'period'."$i";
$amount_name = 'amount'."$i";


print '<tr>';
print "<td><input type=text name=$item_name value=''></td>\n";
print "<td><input type=text name=$period_name value=''></td>\n";
print "<td><input type=text name=$amount_name value=''></td>\n";
print '</tr>';
}

?>

</table>

<br><input type=submit value=Submit>
<br<br>

<!--  Hidden Action Field -->
<input type=hidden name=action value=update>


</form>
</body>
</html>

HalfaBee

I think the problem may bee in this section.
I am not going to spoon feed you the answer. 🙂

When at first you don't succed,
Use debug prints, again and again.

HalfaBee

        $fields  = explode('*', $line);
            $item_read = $fields[0];
            $period_read = $fields[1];
            $amount_read = $fields[2];

    $new_line = "$item_value*$period_value*$amount_value*\n";
    //add sorter if the user wants to sort by amount

    array_push($lines, $new_line);

also here


$new_line = explode("*", $one_line);
    $item_read = $fields[0];
    $period_read = $fields[1];
    $amount_read = $fields[2];

monk_builder

Thanks for the tip.

Yes, I had a feeling that was the problem area.
Unfortunately my changes to that area haven't fixed much.
This is my third week trying to learn PHP and I'm stumbling
all over the place! : )

I enter the following values onto each field:

+--------------------------+
Item Period Amount
+--------------------------+
first row data
second row data

third row data

Here's what the test.txt file looks like:
firstrowdata
secondrowdata
thirdrowdata*

----BUT-----

Here's what the form looks like when it returns:

+--------------------------+
Item Period Amount
+--------------------------+
third row data
third row data

third row data

I'm using print_r($lines) and print_r($new_line)
to debug and see what the values look like. Here's what these render:

Lines Array 
( [0] => first*row*data* [1] => second*row*data* [2] => third*row*data* ) 

New Line Array 
( [0] => first [1] => row [2] => data [3] => )
//by the way I'm not sure why [3] is coming up here

I figured it was a "counter" problem and I tried adding an "array_ctr"
post-fix to several elements without luck.

I also tried all kinds of changes to the code in question and this is where I left it:

//*************************************************
//Now Read Bills and Load and Sort Array
//*************************************************
		$fields  = explode("*", $line);
			$item_read = $fields[0];
			$period_read = $fields[1];
			$amount_read = $fields[2];


	$new_line = "$item_read*$period_read*$amount_read*\n";


//*************************************************
//Now Read Sorted Array and Display
//*************************************************

foreach ($lines as $one_line)
{
	$new_line = explode("*", $one_line);

HalfaBee

You get the [3] because of the * on the end.

You have fixed the first problem, now try for the second one where it is put into the form

$new_line = explode("*", $one_line); 
        $item_read = $fields[0]; 
        $period_read = $fields[1]; 
        $amount_read = $fields[2];

What can you see wrong here?

HalfaBee

monk_builder

Here's how I solved this:

foreach ($lines as $one_line)
{


$new_line = explode("*", $one_line);
//-got rid of the code that was here. It wasn't necessary.


//--I changed the values to read the elements from one_line array above.

print '<tr>';
print "<td><input type=text name=$item_name value=$new_line[0]></td>\n";
print "<td><input type=text name=$period_name value=$new_line[1]></td>\n";
print "<td><input type=text name=$amount_name value=$new_line[2]></td>\n";

Thanks for the tip.
DM