algorithm

Manat

Hi all

I have a type contest going on, but not a contest.  Anyhow, I have a front end, a user comes and enters his info, then depending on his contestandID(auto-incremented number), he will or will not receive an email giving him a code, and there are two different types of alphanumeric codes.

So after the user enters his info, how do I create code that selects only particular contestandIDs that follow a pattern.  A pattern meaning, contestantID #8, 16, 24, 32 ectt... incremented by 8, or some number.  And it alternates, #8 emails him codeA and #16 emails him codeB.

I would apreciate any help on this challenging task.

Thx
MK

furanku

Hi,

for($X; $X<100; $X=$X+8) {

}

Ciao Fu-Ran-Ku

Manat

Ok, but how do I alternate?
And also how is $x equal to contestandID, and how do I know that the ContestantID in question is the same one as the current user who just entered the form AFTER clicking on submit?

I mean submit has already been clicked.

furanku

Hi,

var $switch = false;
for($X; $X<100; $X=$X+8) {
if ($switch) {
sometihng A;
$switch = false;
}
else { sometihng B;
$switch = true;
}

}

Ciao Fu-Ran-Ku

Manat

Hi Ciao

Thanks

Ok, thanks, so we got the alternating thing done, but how do I know that the current user has what ContestandID, i'm confused about this because he already clicked on submit.

So $X is ContestantID, but how do I know it the user of the same session?

Thanks

furanku

Mmmh,

think you have to save the Id in a file or db because its not the same scriptrunning. So the phpscript will miss the id, if you dont save it before.

like:

read id
$X = id;
for (.......

write id

ciao Fu-Ran-Ku

Manat

Hmmm, I'm not really sure what that last piece of read code meant. What would be the best way associate this entry with the contestant ID?

furanku

Ok,

it means that

you read the $id from a file like id.txt, where the $id is in (like a counter)
you check if the $id is in your 8-row like 8,16,24,...
if it is: make the switch part, for alternate your script

4.count $id = $id +8

save the $id in your id.txt

ciao Fu-Ran-Ku

Manat

I see, so what you are suggesting is instead of making ContestantID an autonumber in the DB, make it an int, and programatically store the value that is incremented in the text file?

Once all business logic is done, send all data to the database?