file handling

[lazylinepainter]

Hello everybody!

I have a problem when i'm trying to write a result from the processing of an HTML form to a simple text file.

The thing that confuses me most is that i can't help thinking its got something to do with my configuration of the web server as i did it myself and i don't really know what im doing! I'm running apache with php 4 locally.

Heres my code anyways:

<?php

$tireqty = $HTTP_POST_VARS['tireqty'];
$oilqty = $HTTP_POST_VARS['oilqty'];
$sparkqty = $HTTP_POST_VARS['sparkqty'];
$address = $HTTP_POST_VARS['address'];

$DOCUMENT_ROOT = $HTTP_SERVER_VARS['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];

$totalqty = 0;
$totalqty += $tireqty;
$totalqty += $oilqty;
$totalqty += $sparkqty;

$totalamount = 0.00;

define('TIREPRICE', 100);
define('OILPRICE', 10);
define('SPARKPRICE', 4);

$date = date('H:i, jS F');

echo '<p>Order processed at ';
echo $date;
echo '<br />';
echo '<p>Your order is as follows:';
echo '<br />';

if( $totalqty == 0 )
{
echo 'You did not order anything on the previous page!<br />';
}
else
{
if ( $tireqty>0 )
echo $tireqty.' tires<br />';
if ( $oilqty>0 )
echo $oilqty.' bottles of oil<br />';
if ( $sparkqty>0 )
echo $sparkqty.' spark plugs<br />';
}

$total = $tireqty TIREPRICE + $oilqty OILPRICE + $sparkqty * SPARKPRICE;
$total=number_format($total, 2, '.', ' ');

echo '<P>Total of order is '.$total.'</p>';

echo '<P>Address to ship to is '.$address.'<br />';

$outputstring = $date."\t".$tireqty." tires \t".$oilqty." oil\t"
.$sparkqty." spark plugs\t\$".$total
."\t". $address."\n";

// open file for adding new order to
$fp = fopen("$DOCUMENT_ROOT/../orders/orders.txt", 'a');

flock($fp, LOCK_EX);

if (!$fp)
{
echo '<p><strong> Your order could not be processed at this time. '
.'Please try again later.</strong></p></body></html>';
exit;
}

fwrite($fp, $outputstring);
flock($fp, LOCK_UN);
fclose($fp);

echo '<p>Order written.</p>';

?>

It just doesn't create a folder or a text file called order.txt containing the information! Please help if you can!

Thank you!

Stuart

[ivory]

Perhaps your server configuration makes it not necessary to specify the document root in the call to fopen. On my site, simply

$fp = fopen("orders/orders.txt", "a");

would be the way to create a file "orders.txt" in a directory "orders" which would be in the same directory as the processing script.
I also like to keep single and double quotes away from each other if at all possible. It gets confusing when they are used on the same line, in the same command even, without a pressing reason.

[pecoes]

to say that you have "a problem" and then post your entire code. Be precise about the problem (include error messages) and narrow your code down to a couple of lines.

Otherwise it looks like you haven't even tried to debug it yourself.

Some people refuse to read posts like yours.

[nelustr]

Did you have any error message?
If you have this one:

Warning: fopen("... your path .../orders.txt", "a") - Permission denied

you have to set up the write right for this folder.
If you are running a flavour of linux use: chown or chmod
The easiest way is to use chmod -R 777 orders but... hm I don't recommend it

Add this line:
echo "File: $DOCUMENT_ROOT/../orders/orders.txt<BR />";
to check if returned path is correct

[lazylinepainter]

yeah sorry i appreciate you needed more! i was in a rush and wanted to give you all the code just in case there was anything extra anyone needed to know!

Basically the only error that is shown is the custom message
"Your order could not be processed at this time...."

My problem is that the folder or the file isn't created but the page opens and seemingly runs ok otherwise.
To be honest i'm really new to this and working my way through tutorials, learning as much as i can and i haven't reached any particular techniques of debugging php! Sorry if i've wasted anyones time.

Maybe its something wrong with Apache configuration and again i'm not the most experienced in that department either so i wouldn't particularily be able to spot or fix such a problem.

I will try the suggestions however!