Searching a flat file line by line

user_scan

I'm trying to find information on how make a script to search a flat file line by line and display, that match a query.

Has anybody seen a tutorial or example around?

Thanks.

subwayman

Quick tutorial:

$handle = fopen("/home/rasmus/file.txt", "r"); will oen a file for read only

$line = fgets($handle); will read a line from the file into $line (or up to 1024 bytes if no new line character or end of file is hit)

while (!feof($handle)) {

...

}

Will allow you to run through a file until the end]

user_scan

How can query a word and return a field or fields?

 

$handle = fopen("/home/rasmus/file.txt", "r"); 

$line = fgets($handle);

$field = explode('|', trim($line)); 

if($_POST['action'] == "search") { 

???


 }

subwayman

What do you mean 'query a word'? Give an example.

user_scan

key1|This is text
key2|Hello
key3|one two

If i post "one" it then find in the field "key3" then display the contents of line three.

If makes sense?

user_scan

Or if any other fields match, display them.

user_scan

Will try and make some code and post it on here. maybe you can tell me where I'm going wrong. brb

subwayman

Right, as you are reading the file each time then put the check in the read loop, you can then stop the read loop when you find a match.

$handle = fopen("/home/rasmus/file.txt", "r");  

While (!feof($handle)){

  $line = fgets($handle);  

  $field = explode('|', trim($line));  

  if($_POST['action'] == "search" &&  $_post['key'] == $field[0]) {  

 echo $field[1];

  }

}

However, if the file is large and it is used over and over again consider dumping into a database and using queries. It would make a lot more sense.

user_scan

Ok, maybe 50 lines is that too many?

subwayman

No. How static is the file - how often does it change?

user_scan

Not often but when changed, most of it is changed.

user_scan

Thanks for your help. And i will use the information that you have given me. Thanks.