having problems with my common.php file

Iank1968

Its 4,000 lines long and bogs the server right down. Dunno what I did wrong Iam rather new to all this. I think its only supose to be 1000-1400 lines, so I exploded it somehow and its probably loping like mad.

I know this is a very tall order, but is there anyone that would be able to help me deflate this file and figure out what I did that makes it bog down my server.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Krik

4000 lines!

yikes, I have written big scripts but that makes mine look like a joke.

Let me try to give you few tips.

It sounds like you put all your sites functionality into one page.

If when a user clicks a link if there is anything in the script that does not pertain directly to the content they are viewing in that one page it should be in a different script.

I generally I have, one file that has my javascript functions, one file that has my CSS, there is my index file which has just the basic visual fame work for the site and it directs traffic, there is a session/login file, there is separate file for the menu if there is a left menu it is a separate file from the right menu, a separate file for the site header, a separate file for the content sections general visual layout, a separate file for the footer, and then for every link I make a separate HTML page and another PHP functions page. And on top of that if multiple pages can reuse a function I have a page for common PHP functions.

In a recent project without any links loaded and content section blank 10 files had to load. One section of the site was so complex and dynamic that I on certain pages you could have been seeing about 15 files all brought together to make what you saw. I suppose all of it together may have been close to that 4000 lines but as each part could be used in other places separate from the rest I made them into individual parts to be included if needed.

The long (hard) way to do coding.

if (isset($var)) {
     //500 lines of code
}
else {
    //400 lines of code
}

A simple way to brake it up

if (isset($var)) {
     include('500lines.php');
}
else {
    include('400lines.php');
}

It is real simple, cut and paste out sections and in there place just put an include() with the name of the file that has the php you cut out.

Also it may help you to look up optimization for php. There is a lot neat tricks out there to make things more compact and clean. Also if you feel like really expanding your knowledge look into Object Oriented Programing (OOP).

Iank1968

Yeah its a massive file lol. I think there is alot of stuff in there that isnt needed. Alot of functions I probably put in to many times, lopping like mad.

Would you be able to take a look at the file? Like I said before its probably a really tall order, and Iam new to php/mysql.

Krik

For any of us to sit an spend what could be days rewriting your code is a bit more than any of would want to bite off.

Now on the flip side many here would be willing to help in small incremental amounts.

I recommend posting segments of your code. Split out each functions and if/else's and post them for critiquing. Try and keep the segments down to around a 100 lines this will allow people to easily look it over and recommend changes.

The process is time consuming and will require you do most the work but first it will allow you to learn how it works for any future modifications and you will be able to find places to make logical brakes in the code.

After all it is you that must make the determination of how all the code will interact with the rest of it. Further the most critical part of any website design is the planing architecture and layout of that project. For us to do half the work for you is not going help in in the future.

Iank1968

I fully understand krik. I think I have way to many functions and when I play the game it seems there is a bottle neck and takes forever for the server to catch up. if im using to many function is there another code I can use that would put less stress on the server.

I think I just over expanded each function to the point the server just quits lol. I can post one function code for you to see.

Thanks Krik

Iank1968

oh I also wanted to know how that code you gave me (isset($var)) { can be put into 2 seperate files and still run from a common.php file? will that put less strain on the server too?>

Weedpacket

Iank1968 wrote:
I think I just over expanded each function to the point the server just quits lol.

That's probably a bigger problem than just having lots of functions. A function is only supposed to do one thing (and do it really well 🙂). Are they all really that common? Sounds like there's some serious refactoring in your near future.

Just got curious and picked a file at random from my library: It implements a tree data structure. It contains 53 functions; the longest is 33 lines long (not counting comments), but that's an outlier; the average length of the other 52 is five lines, with 16 of them only one line long.

Krik

Iank1968;10902320 wrote:
oh I also wanted to know how that code you gave me (isset($var)) { can be put into 2 seperate files and still run from a common.php file? will that put less strain on the server too?>

The

if (isset($var)) {
     include('500lines.php');
}
else {
    include('400lines.php');
}

would be in the common.php , and the include() would include one file or the other.

In laymen terms, if $var is set include the 500lines.php file, else include the 400lines.php file.

It was just a real simple example showing how any block of code can be placed in another file and then that file can be included using the php function include(). Go to php.net and search for include you will find some great examples and an explanation of how it works.

And yes it should ease the strain on the server as the server doesn't have to look through additional lines of code to find were it needs to pick up parsing the data. In general irrelavant line don't take much processing power but they do take some as it has to find the next point for processing and if they are not there it give just the little bit of relief. And in your case I am guessing every little bit counts.