Help with sorting files by date instead of name

xbox2box

I have tried looking in the forum and cant seem to find anything similar. I am a student but still a newb to php and would GREATLY appreciate anyone who could help a man out...

I need to sort the files by date modified but currently is in an array sorted by the name of the file which I dont need.

Heres a snipit of the code below to give you an idea of where I think I need to alter things but dont know where to begin. (I have tried natsort() but dosnt work for what i need.

        // If a note exists, read in the data
        if (file_exists($dir . $note) == TRUE)
        {
            $fp = fopen($dir . $note, "r");
            $notes = fread($fp, filesize($dir . $note));
            fclose($fp);
        }

    // Loop through all files and directories and
    // place them in their respective arrays.
    while($entry = readdir($handle))
    {
        if (is_dir($entry) && $entry != ".")
        {
            // Determine if the folder should be hidden
            if ($entry == "..")
            {
                // Make sure that the back link isn't hidden
                $subdirs_array[] = $entry;
            }
            else if ($hide_dot == FALSE || ($hide_dot == TRUE && ereg("^\.", $entry) == FALSE))
            {
                $subdirs_array[] = $entry;
            }
        }
        else if ($entry != ".." && $entry != ".")
        {
            // Delete any lock files if needed
            if (ereg("\.fileman$", $entry) == TRUE && $edit_lock == TRUE)
            {
                // Check to see if the lock file has been in place for more than 5 minutes
                $time   = time() - (int) $timeout;
                $left   = filemtime($entry) - $time;

                // If the amount of time left is less than or equal to 0 unlock the file
                if ($left <= 0)
                {
                    unlink($entry);
                }
            }
            else if ($hide_dot == FALSE || ($hide_dot == TRUE && ereg("^\.", $entry) == FALSE))
            {
                // Determine if the file should be shown, i.e. not .something or file.fileman
                $files_array[] = $entry;
            }
        }
    }

    // Sort the files and directories
    asort($files_array);
    asort($subdirs_array);

    // Sort the sub directories
    foreach($subdirs_array as $entry)	
    {
        if ($entry == "..")
        {
            if ($dir != $params["root"])
            {
                // need to check paths like /test/testing/test/
                $base = basename($dir);

                $prev = ereg_replace("[\\]*$", "", $dir);
                $prev = ereg_replace("[/]*$", "", $prev);
                $prev = ereg_replace($base . "$", "", $prev);
                $prev = eregi_replace($safe, "", $prev);
                $prev = ereg_replace("[/]*$", "", $prev);
                $prev = ereg_replace("[\\]*$", "", $prev);

                $up = "<a href=\"$PHP_SELF?dir=$prev\">..</a>";
            }
        }
        else
        {
            // Get the UNIX only information
            $unix   = unix($entry);

            $icon = "folder.gif";

            // If the folder is locked then show a locked icon
            if ($params["htpasswd"] == 1 && eregi("apache", param("SERVER_SOFTWARE", "SERVER")) && file_exists($entry . "/.htaccess") == TRUE && file_exists($entry . "/.htpasswd") == TRUE)
            {
                $icon = "lockedfolder.gif";
            }

            // Build the array to parse the template
            $subdirs[$entry] = array(
                "icon"      => "<img src=\"images/icons/$icon\" alt=\"$entry\" title=\"$entry\" />",
                "name"      => "<a href=\"$PHP_SELF?dir=" . encode_relative($entry) . "\">$entry</a> <a href=\"" . $params["root_url"] . "/" . encode_relative($entry) . "/\" target=\"_blank\">" . "</a>",
                "actions"   => action_buttons($entry, 1),
                "chmod_val" => $unix["chmod"],
                "owner"     => $unix["owner"],
                "group"     => $unix["group"],
                "mdate"     => date($format, filemtime($entry)),
                "foldown"   => $main["foldown"],
                "foldgroup" => $main["foldgroup"],
                "chmod"     => $main["CHMOD"],
                "zipfile"   => "<form action=\"#\"><input onclick=\"compress(this, 1);\" type=\"checkbox\" name=\"zipfolder\" value=\"$entry\" title=\"" . $main["checkfolder"] . "\" /></form>"
            );
        }
    }

    // Sort the file
    foreach($files_array as $entry)
    {
        // Get the file information
        $unix   = unix($entry);
        $ext    = ext($entry);

        // Get the file size and increase the counter
        $fsize = filesize($entry);
        $total = $total + $fsize;

        // Get the path to the source file
        $sourcefile = encode_relative($entry);
        $sourcefile = str_replace("\\", "/", $sourcefile);

        $icon = get_icon($entry);

        if (file_exists($entry . ".fileman") == TRUE && $edit_lock == 1)
        {
            $icon = "<img src=\"images/icons/lockedfile.gif\" alt=\"$file\" title=\"$file\" />";
        }

        $files[$entry] = array(
            "icon"      => $icon,
            "name"      => in_array($ext, $ascii) ? "<a href=\"" . $params["root_url"] . "/" . encode_relative($entry) . "\" target=\"_blank\">$entry</a> (<a href=\"javascript:open_window('" . $scripts["source"] . "?f=" . js_safe($sourcefile) . "');\" onmouseover=\"javascript:window.status='" . $main["source"] ."'; return true;\" onmouseout=\"javascript:window.status=''; return true;\">" . $main["source"] . "</a>)" : "<a href=\"" . $params["root_url"] . "/" . encode_relative($entry) . "\" target=\"_blank\">$entry</a>",

            "actions"   => action_buttons($entry),
            "fsize"     => size($fsize),
            "mdate"     => date($format, filemtime($entry)),
            "chmod_val" => $unix["chmod"],
            "owner"     => $unix["owner"],
            "group"     => $unix["group"],
            "fileown"   => $main["fileown"],
            "filegroup" => $main["filegroup"],
            "chmod"     => $main["CHMOD"],
            "size"      => $main["size"],
            "zipfile"   => "<form action=\"#\"><input onclick=\"compress(this, 0);\" type=\"checkbox\" name=\"zipfile\" value=\"$entry\" title=\"" . $main["checkfile"] . "\" /></form>"
        );
    }

    // Close the active directory
    closedir($handle);

I can provide any more info is needed. Please help!!

Thank you to all the PHP build crew out there. 😃

scrupul0us

key=>name pairs where the key if the mtime and name is the filename?

xbox2box

I am not sure what you mean but below is my main common.lib.php file.
Maybe the entire code block can help explain this better.

http://www.unitedstatesofdebt.com/codeblock.txt

scrupul0us

                // Delete any lock files if needed
                if (ereg("\.fileman$", $entry) == TRUE && $edit_lock == TRUE)
                {
                    // Check to see if the lock file has been in place for more than 5 minutes
                    $time   = time() - (int) $timeout;
                    $left   = filemtime($entry) - $time;
                    $mtime = filemtime($entry); //EDIT

                // If the amount of time left is less than or equal to 0 unlock the file
                if ($left <= 0)
                {
                    unlink($entry);
                }
            }
            else if ($hide_dot == FALSE || ($hide_dot == TRUE && ereg("^\.", $entry) == FALSE))
            {
                // Determine if the file should be shown, i.e. not .something or file.fileman
                $files_array[$mtime] = $entry; //EDIT
            }

i commented my edits with //EDIT

that should create a key with the time and the filename as the value of the pair

I havent worked with a dynamic key=>value pair array in a while so do some testing 😉

scrupul0us

alternativelyi guess you could prepend each filename with the mtime followed by a dash, and when you need to use the filename just spilt on the dash and use the second half... prolly easier than the key=>value pair

Weedpacket

scrupul0us wrote:
prolly easier than the key=>value pair

Probably not given the existence of [man]asort[/man].

But I'd do things a bit differently: if you have several files with the same modification time, you'll lose all but one from the list.

I notice that further down you have a couple of blocks commented "Sort the sub directories" and "Sort the file"; in them you construct arrays keyed by the file/directory name and containing various information about the things. I suggest you do the sorting here.

// Sort the sub directories
foreach($subdirs_array as $entry)    

{
	///.... blahblah
	$subdirs[$entry] = array(
		/// etc.
	);
}

// Sort the file
foreach($files_array as $entry)
{
	/// ... blahblah
	$files[$entry] = array(
		/// etc.
	);
}

uksort($subdirs, 'sort_subdirectories');
uksort($files, 'sort_files');

And then have two functions named sort_subdirectories() and sort_files(). These take two elements of their respective arrays and compares them to see which is the larger.
E.g,

function sort_files($a,$b)
{
	$a_mtime = $a['mdate'];
	$b_mtime = $b['mdate'];
	// Now these have already been formatted, and there's no guarantee that the
	// formatted date strings will sort correctly. If another field were to be
	// added to the element containing the unformatted mtime then that could
	// be used (it's just a number).

// There's also no guarantee that strtotime() will do the right thing
// with the formatted date - I have no idea what the $format is.

return strtotime($b_mtime)-strtotime($a_mtime);
}

xbox2box

Yo weedpacket! Thanks for the help! I got it ALMOST working!!! Basically it sorts by file date but now its sorting it by the latest file to the newest file. I need the exact opposite.

        // Sort the files and directories
        //asort($files_array);
        //asort($subdirs_array);
function sort_files($a,$b)
{
    $a_mtime = $a['sdate'];
    $b_mtime = $b['sdate'];
    // Now these have already been formatted, and there's no guarantee that the
    // formatted date strings will sort correctly. If another field were to be
    // added to the element containing the unformatted mtime then that could
    // be used (it's just a number).

// There's also no guarantee that strtotime() will do the right thing
// with the formatted date - I have no idea what the $format is.

return strtotime($b_mtime)-strtotime($a_mtime);
} 
function sort_subdirectories($a,$b)
{
    $a_mtime = $a['sdate'];
    $b_mtime = $b['sdate'];
    // Now these have already been formatted, and there's no guarantee that the
    // formatted date strings will sort correctly. If another field were to be
    // added to the element containing the unformatted mtime then that could
    // be used (it's just a number).

// There's also no guarantee that strtotime() will do the right thing
// with the formatted date - I have no idea what the $format is.

return strtotime($b_mtime)-strtotime($a_mtime);
} 
uksort($subdirs, 'sort_subdirectories');
uksort($files, 'sort_files');
        // Sort the sub directories
        foreach($subdirs_array as $entry)	
        {
            if ($entry == "..")
            {
                if ($dir != $params["root"])
                {
                    // need to check paths like /test/testing/test/
                    $base = basename($dir);

                $prev = ereg_replace("[\\]*$", "", $dir);
                $prev = ereg_replace("[/]*$", "", $prev);
                $prev = ereg_replace($base . "$", "", $prev);
                $prev = eregi_replace($safe, "", $prev);
                $prev = ereg_replace("[/]*$", "", $prev);
                $prev = ereg_replace("[\\]*$", "", $prev);

                $up = "<a href=\"$PHP_SELF?dir=$prev\">..</a>";
            }
        }
        else
        {
            // Get the UNIX only information
            $unix   = unix($entry);

            $icon = "folder.gif";

            // If the folder is locked then show a locked icon
            if ($params["htpasswd"] == 1 && eregi("apache", param("SERVER_SOFTWARE", "SERVER")) && file_exists($entry . "/.htaccess") == TRUE && file_exists($entry . "/.htpasswd") == TRUE)
            {
                $icon = "lockedfolder.gif";
            }

            // Build the array to parse the template
            $subdirs[$entry] = array(
                "icon"      => "<img src=\"images/icons/$icon\" alt=\"$entry\" title=\"$entry\" />",
                "name"      => "<a href=\"$PHP_SELF?dir=" . encode_relative($entry) . "\">$entry</a> <a href=\"" . $params["root_url"] . "/" . encode_relative($entry) . "/\" target=\"_blank\">" . "</a>",
                "actions"   => action_buttons($entry, 1),
                "chmod_val" => $unix["chmod"],
                "owner"     => $unix["owner"],
                "group"     => $unix["group"],
				"sdate"     => filemtime($entry),
                "mdate"     => date($format, filemtime($entry)),
                "foldown"   => $main["foldown"],
                "foldgroup" => $main["foldgroup"],
                "chmod"     => $main["CHMOD"],
                "zipfile"   => "<form action=\"#\"><input onclick=\"compress(this, 1);\" type=\"checkbox\" name=\"zipfolder\" value=\"$entry\" title=\"" . $main["checkfolder"] . "\" /></form>"
            );
        }
    }

    // Sort the file
    foreach($files_array as $entry)
    {
        // Get the file information
        $unix   = unix($entry);
        $ext    = ext($entry);

        // Get the file size and increase the counter
        $fsize = filesize($entry);
        $total = $total + $fsize;

        // Get the path to the source file
        $sourcefile = encode_relative($entry);
        $sourcefile = str_replace("\\", "/", $sourcefile);

        $icon = get_icon($entry);

        if (file_exists($entry . ".fileman") == TRUE && $edit_lock == 1)
        {
            $icon = "<img src=\"images/icons/lockedfile.gif\" alt=\"$file\" title=\"$file\" />";
        }

        $files[$entry] = array(
            "icon"      => $icon,
            "name"      => in_array($ext, $ascii) ? "<a href=\"" . $params["root_url"] . "/" . encode_relative($entry) . "\" target=\"_blank\">$entry</a> (<a href=\"javascript:open_window('" . $scripts["source"] . "?f=" . js_safe($sourcefile) . "');\" onmouseover=\"javascript:window.status='" . $main["source"] ."'; return true;\" onmouseout=\"javascript:window.status=''; return true;\">" . $main["source"] . "</a>)" : "<a href=\"" . $params["root_url"] . "/" . encode_relative($entry) . "\" target=\"_blank\">$entry</a>",

            "actions"   => action_buttons($entry),
            "fsize"     => size($fsize),
			"sdate"     => filemtime($entry),
            "mdate"     => date($format, filemtime($entry)),
            "chmod_val" => $unix["chmod"],
            "owner"     => $unix["owner"],
            "group"     => $unix["group"],
            "fileown"   => $main["fileown"],
            "filegroup" => $main["filegroup"],
            "chmod"     => $main["CHMOD"],
            "size"      => $main["size"],
            "zipfile"   => "<form action=\"#\"><input onclick=\"compress(this, 0);\" type=\"checkbox\" name=\"zipfile\" value=\"$entry\" title=\"" . $main["checkfile"] . "\" /></form>"
        );
    }

    // Close the active directory
    closedir($handle);

I'm so close but I'm still trying to mod your code to do the opposite but I can seem to do it...

Any help?

Weedpacket

You can either tweak sort_files() return the opposite values to what it would be returning now (that would be the smart approach) or just reverse the sorted array.