php file management functions and rename files

searain

I would like to use php file and directory funcitons to let the user manage their images folders and images files etc.

1) could anyone give me some simple sample codes as example? I don't want the complicated fancy image gallery. Only show the directory and files (/file size) under it, and then be able to "Upload, download, remove, rename."

Keep it simple and stupid!

2) is there anyway, i can have the file has two names (one is link or something like that) one is for English name such as "User Manual" and another is the real file name such as manual.pdf? Or I have to have a database to hold the English Name information.

searain

I mean is there anyway I don't have to build up a database to keep English Names for the image files I want to manage in the directory.

Could I use the existing file system built in functions? for example manual.pdf could have an alias name as "User Manual" etc.

Wynder

I'm just going to take a shot in the dark here... if you're using a linux-based system, you do like:

exec("ln -s manual.pdf Manual");

This creates a symbolic link called Manual and points to the file manual.pdf.

Not sure about windows -- may wanna google on how to create a shortcut via command line.

searain

I am on linux. I know there is 'symbolic link" approach but not so familiar with how it works etc.

Thanks.

Will it work? How it works? If any one can give me further information or advice on what should I do/learn first, it will be very helpful.

At the same time, I am reading the material about symbolic link (linux system) and file management through php fucntions.

Any other ideas and any other approaches?

Thanks again!

searain

Any related sampe codes?

searain

Plus, which is the better approach? Create a database to manage the files (the English names) or use the symbolic links as the English Names of the file.

Advices and samples.

Thanks!

Wynder

I would prolly say using symbolic links -- less maintainence. If you're familiar with Windows, it's similar to a shortcut -- just points to a file, but you can call it whatever you want.

ln -s english.pdf Manual.pdf

If you did a list in unix you'd see something like:

-rwx------ 1045 Manual.pdf -> english.pdf

Where the real file (example.pdf) is pointed to by Manual.pdf -- both of these files don't have to be in the same directory, so if you had:

/var/www/html/project as your document root, you could have

/var/www/html/project/english_files
/var/www/html/project/french_files

You could exec("ln -s /var/www/html/project/english_files/manual.pdf /var/www/html/project/french_files/duex.pdf")

Check out php.net exec() function and 'man ln' in linux.