Number of submits

sebjlan

Hi,

Let's say I have a page with some javascript and a form that submits every 10 seconds, and I have multiple IE windows opened running this page.
Let's say I also have a normal text file or a php-file, which contains a variable equal to 0. I want some PHP code on my page to add 1 to this variable every time the form has been submitted. And when the value of the variable hits a given number, the windows redirect to some page or close or whatever.

It would be great to have a seperate script allowing me to decide the begin and end number.

Is this even possible and if so, how?

Hope I made myself clear.
Thank you in advance.

bpat1434

It is possible, but you'd need a server-side document that you reference. Each browser window/tab gets its own session (even if on the same computer) I believe. So what you'd need is something like a text file with a number (or string of certain length) that you use to "count" hits.

The easiest way would be to use a string of characters (letters, numbers, whatever) and use the strlen() function to find the length of the string (NOTE: strlen() starts counting from 1, not 0).

As for closing the other browsers, not sure how you can do this without JavaScript or some other client-side language. I'd honestly say: it's possible but will take work.

sebjlan

Are you suggesting that I have a string that is 1 character, and 2 characters after first submit etc.? It's not possible with a variable of some value like described before?
Can I have each browser window writing to the same file? Even if the browser windows submit the form simultaneously?

When the form has been submitted, the page is redirected to a page which just redirects to the previous page (the one with the form), and on this redirect-page I'd like it to check the string length, and then

if(strlen($string)==1000) // How do I then refer to the $string in the seperate file?
{
print "<script type=\"text/javascript\">
the javascript code for closing the window
</script>";
}
else
{
print "<meta http-equiv=\"refresh\" content=\"0;url=$referer\">";
}

Does it make sense? :rolleyes:

bpat1434

I'm suggestign that it'd be easier to use the length of the string, rather than numbers as strings converted to integers...

Can I have each browser window writing to the same file? Even if the browser windows submit the form simultaneously?

This is where locking the file while dooing manipulation comes into play. You'd need lock the text-file so that no-one else can write to it at that exact time. Then, unlock it when you're done writing to it.

Create a php page that holds the function(s) for getting the file, reading the length, adding to it, writing the file and such. Then, on your form page, just add that at the top (or wherever). Then, if the length is of a certain length, you output the javascript function to close the window. And put a Body "onLoad" event handler on it to execute that function when the page loads.

sebjlan

bpat1434 wrote:
Create a php page that holds the function(s) for getting the file, reading the length, adding to it, writing the file and such. Then, on your form page, just add that at the top (or wherever). Then, if the length is of a certain length, you output the javascript function to close the window. And put a Body "onLoad" event handler on it to execute that function when the page loads.

There is particular reason to why this has been posted in the newbies section, and I don't think I'll have to mention it. 🙂
How exactly do I do this? And how to lock/unlock the file? There is a problem though, I think. When the file is locked, one of the other windows might submit the form while not being able to write to the file, yes? That means that the form can have been submitted let's say 1100 times though strlen($string)==1000.

bpat1434

Well, I'm not going to write your script for you. I've given you enough, now it is the learners turn to look in the manual and read up on the functions (or functions alluded to (like locking)) and come up with some code. Everything is really laid out in the manual (including examples).

And by locking the file, you can actually use it to your advantage. You can "stall" the page until it can read the file. Then, the page isn't submitted 4 times or whatever. And, since you're only getting the contents (which is extremely fast) it really shouldn't be an issue.

Now, in saying that, there are issues. Like, if you have 3 people submit at once. First person reads 999 (so their the 1000th), second person reads 999, third person reads 999. So how do we combat this? Before writing, you get the contents again and write them to the file.

Here are the functions you need:
[man]fopen/man
[man]fclose/man <-- Automatically unlocks file(s)
[man]file_get_contents/man <-- Optional
[man]fread/man
[man]flock/man <-- Locks & unlocks files

As for the JavaScript, I'm not sure. I don't do javascript.

sebjlan

bpat1434 wrote:
Well, I'm not going to write your script for you.

Wasn't asking you to 🙂
I'm happy to learn.

bpat1434 wrote:
Now, in saying that, there are issues. Like, if you have 3 people submit at once. First person reads 999 (so their the 1000th), second person reads 999, third person reads 999. So how do we combat this? Before writing, you get the contents again and write them to the file.

Can you elaborate that? Do you mean doing fread() twice? 😕

bpat1434 wrote:
Here are the functions you need:
[man]fopen/man
[man]fclose/man <-- Automatically unlocks file(s)
[man]file_get_contents/man <-- Optional
[man]fread/man
[man]flock/man <-- Locks & unlocks files

Thanks 🙂

Just to be sure: Are you suggesting that after the first submit the file reads e.g. "a", after the second submit the file reads "aa" etc.?

bpat1434

yes, you'd use fread twice.

And the second reading is just to make sure that no-one else has gone through while they waited.... so it's redundant.

sebjlan

So for instance

$first = fread($filename, "r");
$second= fread($filename, "r");
if($first==$second){blah blah}
//Or what?

bpat1434

no.. like...

$str = '';
$first = fopen($filename, "r");
while(!feof($first))
{
    $str .= fread($first, 1024);
}
fclose($first);
$num = strlen($str);

// do whatever in here....

// lock the file here too...
$str = '';
$second = fopen($filename, "r+");
while(!feof($second))
{
    $str .= fread($second, 1024);
}
$num2 = strlen($str);
if($num2==$num)
{ 
    // they're equal, so just add on... i.e. nothing has been submitted intermittently
}
else
{
    // Do whatever here.... call the file again, whatever...
}
fclose($second);

Get the idea?

sebjlan

bpat1434 wrote:
Get the idea?

I see 🙂
Thanks a lot!