Creating and writing to files

VooDooRT

This may be a rather newbie questions, but I've NEVER created files with php. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here's what I want to do:

1) Click a link
2) A file ($variable.dat) is created under a specific directory
3) That file has one line written to it, also $variable.
4) The code needs to check to make sure the file doesn't already exist. If so, it will error out.

Should be pretty simple, but again, I know nothing about file creation/use.

drag0n

So you should make a html page with the link to say: createfile.php which gets the $variable and uses filesystem functions to check, create, addto file and saves
http://us3.php.net/manual/en/ref.filesystem.php

VooDooRT

Basically what it's going to do is take a link that is a variable received from a database (inputed upon customers order placement) and I want it to create a license file in another directory. The file is the domain name of the person buying the script and the information IN the file is the same.

So it would create a file in the directory of my choosing called www.phpbuilder.com.dat and that file will contain only www.phpbuilder.com

Pretty simple in thought, but hard in writing...

drag0n

give me some time, ill draft a script up

winterbeef

VooDooRT,

Please be aware that you might (should) receive an error if you try to create a file in a directory without the proper permissions.

Be aware of the various security issues that abound! Check out the fopen page and comments for details.

Also, depending on what you doing with the '.dat' file, you mioght not hafta actually create one on the filesystem, but could stream one out for download to the user. Again, see the manual under the header() function. Look specifically for 'Content-Disposition'. It will give you an elegant way of downloading a file to your user without creating it on hte filesystem.

HTH.

VooDooRT

Looks like some good code, but how do I go about changing a directory? I want it to go into a totally different directory.
Post in:
/home/voodoo/public_html/ct_license/file_goes_here.dat
From:
/home/voodoo/public_html/clantek/cart/admin/vieworders.php

Also, would this work? $server is the variable grabbed from the form that I want to make the file name out of and the data inside the file.

$variable = $_POST['$server']; 
if(file_exists("$variable.dat")) 
{ 
echo "File exists, exiting<br>"; 
exit; 
} 
$fp = fopen("$variable.dat", "a+"); 
if(!$fp) 
{ 
echo "There has been an error creating the file, please try again later on<br>"; 
exit; 
} 
fwrite($fp, $variable); 
echo $variable; 
echo "&nbsp succcessfully written into file"; 
fclose($fp);

drag0n

$fp = fopen("$variable.dat", "a+");
should be
$fp = fopen(".../ctlicense/$variable.dat", "a+");

VooDooRT

Still doesn't create the file 🙁

drag0n

have u checked permissions?

VooDooRT

Just the directory, or what?

drag0n

fopen("$_SERVER[ "DOCUMENT_ROOT" ] . "/ctlicence/$variable", "a+");

try that it doesnt create the folder for you.. it just creates the file so u have to make the folder

drag0n

What errors do you get if any?

VooDooRT

no errors, but no created file...

drag0n

fopen("$_SERVER[ "DOCUMENT_ROOT" ]"/ctlicence/$variable", "a+");
try that and did you create the folder?

drag0n

This works on my server.. u have to make the folder ctlicence and then it putsd everything in there

<?php

$variable = $_POST['text'];
if(file_exists("$variable"))
{
echo "File exists, exiting<br>";
exit;
}
$fp = fopen($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]."/ctlicence/$variable", "w"); 
if(!$fp)
{
echo "There has been an error creating the file, please try again later on<br>";
exit;
}
fwrite($fp, $variable);
echo $variable;
echo "&nbsp succcessfully written into file";
fclose($fp);

?>

VooDooRT

It keeps telling me:

There has been an error creating the file, please try again later on

drag0n

Check permissions for that folder "ctlicence" or whatever
and also do this:
either comment out or copy, and then delete these line:

if(!$fp) 
{ 
echo "There has been an error creating the file, please try again later on<br>"; 
exit; 
}

and then try again paste me what errors u have... do you have any kind of IM software... I can explain everything way better on there.

VooDooRT

Directory CHMOD is 777

Took out the code you mentioned and it's saying the file was created successfully, but again, it wasn't. No errors, just no file 🙁

Not sure where to look next...

drag0n

weird... so no error is showing?
even when u take out those lines?
Then thats very weird... That script works perfect on my server.... very weird...
well I dont know.. maybe soemone else knows
Sorry

VooDooRT

You can AIM me and I'll show you yourself. AIM: MoeChrch