write on myscript

fizzwizz

I have a script running from a bash shell myscript.php

within the script I have a variable set as
$default time = 72;

I would like to be able to change this default time within the script and re-write it as
$default time = 48;
for example

(So that the default time remains the same each time I subsequently revisit the script)

is it possible to write to the script I am using?

suntra

Why don't you simply write the default time in a file and read from that file every time you load the script ? That way, you simply would have to change the file and not the script.

fizzwizz

A solution I agree ... but not a very elegant one. I would prefer the script to be independent

Shrike

Pass it as a parameter to the script?

fizzwizz

I don't understand what you mean by pass it as a parameter. Will this re-write the script with the new line?

Shrike

In your script...

$myvalue = $_GET['value'];

and then when you call the script...

./myscript.php value=1

Sorry I can't remember the syntax for passing parameters to scripts from a shell. Someone here probably knows 😉

fizzwizz

I understand what you mean now ... but no .. that isn't what I need.

I need the script to hard write the new values (there will be more than one default setting to be changed depending on info gathered from the script.)

I can think of a dozen other solutions but the one I want is to re-write the script I am using with the script ..... if this is possible

suntra

Well, if you really want to change the data inside your script (which I find stupid (sorry)), get the exact line number for each line you want to modify. After, within the script, open the (same) script with file(). It will put each line in an array. Then, with the line number, make the modification in the array. Join the array with "\n" and write that in the (same) script.

NOTE: line number starts from 1 to infinity, but in the array, it's from 0 to infinity, so when you make modifications in the array with the line number, you must do this: [line number] - 1. Example : if you line number is 1, in the array, it will be 0.

fizzwizz

There is a reason why writing to the script is necessary and is not a stupid as it may seem at first glance.

I am assuming your answer is yes ... I can write to the script I am using. The question was posed to discover if there are any issues in performing this action. re-writing another file is straight forward in php ... rewriting the one the php engine is parsing seems counter intuitive but if you are sure it's possible without issue I shall continue in this way

Many thanks ... Fizz

Shrike

Give me a good reason why dynamically writing the script itself is better than using a text file 🙂

fizzwizz

No doubt you are used to the methodology of having a seperate file containing data to be read by your script.
Why you consider this to be a superior technique is strange to me. (After all we are only talking about a few values)
Surely it is much neater to have one standalone script than a script and a txt file.
Quite honestly I am surprised you haven't suggested writing to SQL which is superior to writing to a text file.
The reason I want to keep this script simple ad self sufficient is this ..
I consider one file to be neater than two files and this utility is for a webhosting server, when a new hosting account is created the script will be automatically copied to each new account. Copying 2 files isnt a problem ... but why would i do this when I can copy one file?
Seems to me that some people are stuck in time when it comes to methodology 🙂

Shrike

Writing to few values to a database would be considered overkill. Writing to a text file and then reading it back is the neatest solution, if you want to make it extensible then use a CSV file and PHP's getcsv() function.

Dynamically writing portions of the script is a poor idea because it requires the file to be unlocked whilst it is executing, or another script to write the values. If the same script is used then it will need to be executed a 2nd time to get the value back.

I don't know of the security implications of this, they might be minor as you are executing via bash and not a browser 😉

fizzwizz

Dynamically writing portions of the script is a poor idea because it requires the file to be unlocked whilst it is executing, or another script to write the values. If the same script is used then it will need to be executed a 2nd time to get the value back

Yes .. this indeed seems to be my stumbling block and the extra txt file may end up being the method of choice in the end. Shame really because I prefer the one file idea. I don't like to see supporting files in my /home/utilities/ directory I supose I can mkdir /etc/data/ and place the supporting txt files there!