Cron jobs...?

jredwilli

I want to make a cronjob but am unsure how to create a cron.php script which is what the cronjob runs to perform the task.
I want to make something that will email something like the number or visitors to my site, or what pages are viewed, or something like that.

I guess there needs to be a script that collects data somehow, and then another to send it to me, but I dont know what to do to collect the data, I think i could figure out sending it once it's collected.

can anyone point me in the right direction for writing something like this?

maxpup979

Depending on the platform you are using, cron jobs are either scheduled tasks (in windows) or crons (in Linux Unix). for a thorough guide on crons in linux, check out:
http://www.quest-pipelines.com/newsletter/cron.htm
for windows:
http://drupal.org/node/31506

And in linux/unix, when you use PHP as the scripting language (and probably windows as well), start the script with

#!/usr/local/bin/php -q

for a tutorial on this, check out:
http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/darrell20000319.php3

Hope that helps!

sois

Does your host have cpanel? That has a really easy way to set up a cron job. If you have cpanel, you can simply make a php page that generates the stats you are looking for and also then emails the results back to yourself.

jredwilli

ya, my host doesn't have cpanel, they have a custom designed control panel, but it does have a thing for setting up cronjobs easily. which i have done already, but as for the script it calls. i dont quite understand how to go about creating it, so that it collects data, i can figure out the emailing the data part ok, but getting it is unclear still.

Scriptmaker

An easy way to learn how to do something is to see how someone else did it. Have you tried searching for a stats script to learn from, or are you just trying to learn the hard way?

http://www.stargeek.com/php_scripts.php?script=8

That's one of the first scripts that popped up in a google search for

php stats tutorial

When I'm looking for scripts to learn from, I always start with that format in google:
php <title> tutorial

jredwilli

Ya of course I've searched for a script that would be able to help me out, but I wasn't really sure of what I should've searched for. I thought it was a more complex thing to write, because it collects data.
I am rather new to php, but not so new that I cant think to search for a script like what I want to do. I have written a bunch of different scripts, but never something that collects info, storing it until a time when it is sent in an email. Its that concept really that I was unsure of how to go about doing. But I have a better idea now, I got some guidance from people I work with, who know plenty about programming multiple langs.

Thanks for your help. If I am able to complete a script for what I have in mind I will post it here for people.

Scriptmaker

Wasn't trying to sound stuck up or imply you were incompetent. I was trying to offer more than the standard "Just google it" advice. Adding "tutorial" to the search really does help.

Your script doesn't really have to "wait" for the cron job to happen. Just look at any stats script that you can follow and install and use it. Then write a small script that pulls data from whatever mysql table holds the information you want emailed to you, and have the script do so.

Once you get familiar with the process of adding data to and retrieving data from a database, you'll find that there really isn't much more to it than writing any other php script. Just a few more commands, and some weird errors sometimes.

Hope that didn't sound too patronizing. 🙂

jredwilli

I know you weren't trying to sound that way, I thank you for your help.

And since you put it that way, I didn't even consider the possibility of using a database as the place where the data is gathered. Duh... I thought there was more to coding crons that involved creating a txt file or log file with the collected data, because all the things I was finding when searching kept giving me that kind of impression, and I thought it wouldnt work to use a database.

I feel so stupid, I mean I know how to use Mysql with php, and how to add and retrieve data with it.

My mindset wasn't with that train of thought, or something. It has been a long day of coding too, so.

Now it makes total sense to me and should have no problem. I just needed to get the right perspective of it. I'm more right brained than left, so I am more creative than I am at solving problems. A visual learner, trying to learn php is not an easy thing either, let me tell you..

Thanks for your help🙂