Edit flat file data

[music_man]

Hi
I am looking to edit a record set in a flat file database.
The user clicks on a link with an id to the page events_edit.php. I am trying to have it so that it can get all the information related to that id and then I can put it into the value="" field in the html.
I Will then have to work out how to make it update.

<?
#####################
#
# Events edit
#
#####################
session_start();
require_once("includes/config.php");
if($_SESSION["valid"] == true)
{
if($_POST["action"] == "send")
{
if ($_POST["imagefile"]!= "") {
if (($_FILES['imagefile']['type'] == "image/jpeg")¦¦($_FILES['imagefile']['type'] == "image/gif"))
{
copy ($_FILES['imagefile']['tmp_name'], "gallery/".$_FILES['imagefile']['name'])
or die ("Could not copy");
}
else
{
echo "
<br>
<br>
";
echo "Could Not Copy, Wrong Filetype (".$_FILES['imagefile']['name'].")
<br>
";
}
}
$title = $_POST["title"];
$timearrive = $_POST["timearrive"];
$date_start = $_POST["date_start"];
$date_finish = $_POST["date_finish"];
$about = $_POST["about"];
$status = $_POST["status"];
$imageornot = $_POST["chkbox"];
$image = $_FILES['imagefile']['name'];
$id = rand(1000, 9999);
$filename = 'events.txt';
$pipe = "¦";
$cr = "\n";
$data1 .= $title . $pipe . $timearrive . $pipe . $date_start . $pipe . $date_finish . $pipe . $about . $pipe . $id . $pipe . $status;
if ($imageornot =="y") {
$data2 .= $pipe . $imageornot . $pipe . $image;
}
$dataall = $data1 . $data2 . "\n";
$fp = fopen($filename,"a");
if($fp){
fwrite($fp,$dataall); // Write information to the file
fclose($fp); // Close the file
$main .="<h1>Event changed. <a href=\"events.php\">Refresh page</a></h1>";
}
}
if($_POST["action"]!= "send")
{
$main .= "
<h2>
Edit events
</h2>
}
}
$main .= "
<h2>
Edit event
</h2>
$file = file('events.txt');
// $data1 = '';
if (!strstr($file[$i],$_GET['id']))
{
foreach($file as $key1 => $val1)
{
$data1[$key1] = explode("¦", $val1);
}
}
<br />
<h3>
<form action='events.php' method='post' name='frm' enctype='multipart/form-data'>
The event title
<br />
<input class=textField type=text name=title>
<br />
<br />
What time should they arrive?
<br />
<input class=textField type=text name=timearrive value=>
<br />
<br />
When does it...
<br />
Start
<input class=textField type=text name=date_start>
&nbsp;
Finish
<input class=textField type=text name=date_finish>
<br />
<br />
About this event
<br />
<textarea rows=10 cols=30 name=about>
</textarea>
<br />
<br />
Is this a past event?
<br />
<select name=status>
<option>
Yes
<option SELECTED>
No
</select>
<br />
<br />
Add an image?
<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"chkbox\" onclick=\"showhidefield()\" value=\"y\">
<div id='hideablearea' style='display:none;'>
<input type=\"file\" name=\"imagefile\">
</div>
<input class=button type=submit value=Send>
<input type=hidden name=action value=send>
</form>
</h3>
";
}
else
{
header("Location: index.php");
}
$page = "events";
require_once("includes/template.php");
?>

Any ideas?

[jazz_snob]

If I had a plan, I'd make each record a separate xml file. Then xml file -> parse into -> object -> manipulate to display or update values -> generate xml -> save.

[music_man]

I am not sure at all how to do that. At the moment I have a code to add and delete the data. I am wondering how I could make it so that it opens all the information of the row with the id that matches the one in the link. From there I can set the values of the form and then I can use the delete process script and hopefully add the edited information to it.

[music_man]

Should I make it so that if the id of the URL matches one in the file then it converts the row that id is in, into an array. Surely then I can then have the values of the edit form as parts of that array. When the form is submitted it:

1. Deletes the to-update record from the data file.
2. Puts the data without the to-update record into a variable called $old_data
3. Puts the to-update data into variable $to_update
4. Deletes the events.txt content
5. Writes the $old_data and $to_update data to events.txt file

The problem is how to get the record into an array for the event form values, relative to the id sent by the URL.

Here is my attempt:

if($_GET["action"] == "edit") {
$file = file(EVENTDATA);
$data = '';
for ($i=0; $i<count($file); $i++)
{
if (!strstr($file[$i],$_GET['id']))
{
$data .= $file[$i];
}
}
$data2 = trim($data);

foreach($file as $key1 => $val1)
  {

   $datat = explode("|", $val1);

}

$main .="$value[0]";

$main .="$datat";

}

[music_man]

I am stuck at the moment. Any ideas?

[jazz_snob]

This is event info? How about each event is a record in a separate file? With the id of the record being the name of the file. Then ?event_id=12 tells you exactly what you need. Either way you will run into limitations. As a single file, which is a headache to delete records from, you will get performance hit as file size grows large. Also, w/ one file per event you run the risk having of too many files (would take several thousands to reach that problem). However, I think one file/ record is a good way to go.

Only problem then would be tracking IDs. Since you should never reuse an ID, just keep one file, id_counter.txt or whatever you call it, and each time you add a record append a character to id_counter.txt. Then the size of id_counter.txt tells you how many IDs you have used. Make any sense?

[music_man]

Thanks for your reply.

The reason I am using flatfiles still is that I have the adding and deleting already done. I also have the page displaying the txt file sorted too. If I was redesigning the database then I would probably use Mysql.

Why can I not reuse an ID in this case? I could have it so that when it has edited the information it records a new ID overwriting the old.

I don't think the txt file will grow too large before the redesign I am doing later this year.

[music_man]

Can anyone help me with this problem?

[jazz_snob]

What exactly is the problem you have run into?

Meanwhile, looking over past posts in this thread, I think you could do this:

If you don't mind a *nix centric solution, you can easily grab a whole record for a given $id in the file w/ exec() using commands like grep and awk. This assumes you have the whole record entered on a single line, and starts with the ID:

$cmd = "cat my_text_file.txt | awk /^$id/";
$results = array();
exec($cmd, $results, $status);

You'll obviously want to carefully sanitize $id to make sure its an integer and handle the cases where it isn't.

[music_man]

What if the line wraps? They are separated in the writing by a \n.

Here is my events_edit.php file as it stands:

<?
#####################
#
# Events edit
#
#####################
session_start();
require_once("includes/config.php");
if ($_SESSION["valid"] == true) {

/* If action is edit */

if($_GET["action"] == "edit") {
$file = file(EVENTDATA);
$data = '';
for ($i=0; $i<count($file); $i++)
{
if (!strstr($file[$i],$_GET['id']))
{
$data .= $file[$i];
}
}
$data2 = trim($data);

foreach($file as $key1 => $val1)
  {

   $datat = explode("|", $val1);

}

$main .="$value[0]";

$main .="$datat";



 foreach($userinfo1 as $key1 => $val1) {

 /* Put data into an array */

 $data1[$key1] = explode("|", $val1);

 }

}



/* if form submitted */

if ($_POST["action"] == "Submit") {

/* image processing */
if ($_POST["imagefile"] !== "") {
if (($_FILES['imagefile']['type'] == "image/jpeg")||($_FILES['imagefile']['type'] == "image/gif"))
{
copy ($_FILES['imagefile']['tmp_name'], "gallery/".$_FILES['imagefile']['name'])
or die ("Could not copy");
}
else
{
header("Location: events.php?message=pictureerror");
}
}





 /* set variables */


 $title = $_POST["title"];
 $timearrive = $_POST["timearrive"];
 $date_start = $_POST["date_start"];
 $date_finish = $_POST["date_finish"];
 $about = $_POST["about"];
 $status = $_POST["status"];
 $imageornot = $_POST["chkbox"];
 $image = $_FILES['imagefile']['name'];
 $id = rand(1000, 9999);
 $pipe = "|";
 $cr = "\n";






 /* corrolate into data clusters */

 $data1 .= $title . $pipe . $timearrive . $pipe . $date_start . $pipe . $date_finish . $pipe . $about . $pipe . $id . $pipe . $status;


 if ($imageornot =="y") {
 $data2 .= $pipe . $imageornot . $pipe . $image;
 }

 $dataall = $data1 . $data2 . $cr;






 /* open file */

 $fp = fopen(EVENTDATA,"a");
 if ($fp) {

 /* Write information to the file */

 fwrite($fp,$dataall);

 fclose($fp);

 /* write a message that it has worked */

header("Location: events.php?message=added");
 }
 }




/* messages */

 if ($message =="added") {

$main .='<div class="confirm">Event added. <a href="events.php">Refresh</a></div>';

}

 if ($message =="deleted") {

$main .='<div class="confirm">Event deleted. <a href="events.php">Refresh</a></div>';

}





 /* if the form has not been submitted */

 if ($_POST["action"] != "Submit") {




 /* display all events in a list */


 $main .= '<div class="eventlist"><ul>';

 $userinfo1 = file(EVENTDATA);

 foreach($userinfo1 as $key1 => $val1) {

 /* Put data into an array */

 $data1[$key1] = explode("|", $val1);

 }

 for ($k = 0; $k < sizeof($userinfo1); $k++) {
 $main .= '<li><b>' . $data1[$k][0] . '</b>';

 $main .= '&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href=events_edit.php?action=edit&id=' . $data1[$k][5] . '>Edit</a> :: <a href=events.php?action=delete&id=' . $data1[$k][5] . '>Delete</a></li>';

 }
 }
 $main .= '</ul></div>';








/* display form */

$main .= '<div>
 <fieldset>
      <legend>Add event</legend>

<form action="events.php" method="post" name="frm" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<div class="form">
<label for="title">Title: </label><input type=text name=title>

<br /><br />

<label for="timearrive">Arrival time: </label><input type=text name="timearrive">

<br /><br />

<label for="date_start">Date start: </label><input type=text name="date_start">

<br /><br />

<label for="date_finish">Date finish: </label><input type=text name="date_finish">

<br /><br />

<label for="about">About this event: </label><textarea rows=10 cols=40 name="about"></textarea>

<br /><br />

<label for="status">Past event?</label>
<select name=status>
    <option>Yes</option>
    <option selected="selected">No</option>
</select>

<br /><br />

<label for="chkbox">Image? </label><input type="checkbox" name="chkbox" onclick="showhidefield()" value="y">

<br /><br />

<div id="hideablearea" style="display:none;">

<br />

<input type="file" name="imagefile"></input><br /><br />

</div>

<input class=button type=submit value=Submit>
<input type=hidden name=action value=Submit>
</div>
      </form>
    </fieldset>
</div>
';


} else {
 header("Location: index.php");
}
$page = "events";
require_once("includes/template.php");
?>

[music_man]

Is there another board on this forum that I could try?

[crazychris]

you are using a flat file, use a database and life becomes easier. Files will ruin you.

[music_man]

I am well aware that I am using a flat file and I know that a database would be easier. I have, however, spent a lot of time on this current system and I would like some help on it please.

[crazychris]

But... you're using flat files to do what a database can easily do. If you were using a database, then things get sooooo much easier.

To counter thye \n where one is not expected, count the record delimiters (|?) and if there are not enough, do another read and append the result then check again until there are.

[music_man]

I have actually used mysql before and I know it is easier. However that is not relevant to my question.

[crazychris]

so waht about the other half of my post? did you read/try that?

[music_man]

But... you're using flat files to do what a database can easily do. If you were using a database, then things get sooooo much easier.

Yes I read that.

you are using a flat file, use a database and life becomes easier. Files will ruin you.

Yes, I would like to use a database. But I am not at the moment.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful but the fact is I am using flat files for better or for worse and I would very much like some help on my current situation.

[crazychris]

Having the ability to read is also a skill.

To counter thye \n where one is not expected, count the record delimiters (|?) and if there are not enough, do another read and append the result then check again until there are.

[music_man]

My apologies. I must have missed that last sentence. I would appreciate some tips on how to implement it into the code.