[RESOLVED] Function based counter from the wrox book

[frih]

This is the question from the book "Beginning PHP5,Apache,MYsql web development.

Question fro chapter-2 exercise

ques--> "Using functions, write a program that keeps track of how many times a visitor has loaded the page."

In the book, they have written--> //list the movies
echo “<table>”;
$numlist = 1;
while ($numlist <= $_POST[“num”]) {
echo “<tr>”;
echo “<td>”;
echo pos($favmovies);
echo “</td”>;
next($favmovies);
$numlist = $numlist + 1;
echo “</tr>”;
}
echo “</table>”;

But i don't think this is the answer because it just putting the movie result inside a table.

I have written one program myself for this question but it is not working correctly.

Here it is-->
<?php
echo " hello welcome here";
$counter1=0;
$counter;
function counter()
{
global $counter1,$counter;

$counter1++;
echo "you have visited this page for ".$counter1;
$counter=$counter1;

}
$counter=$counter1;
counter();
?>

Need help...

[dalecosp]

Before programming a script, decide what the script needs to do and document the steps.

1. Read "where the count is stored". This could be a file, database entry, $SESSION or even $COOKIE variable, etc.
2. Add one to this number.
3. Save the new number in place of the old one.
4. Display the new number.

Now, your only job is to simply translate that into something the computer understands.

There are a zillion ways to do it. How about this?

<?php

function increment() { // reads count and returns new page load count (#1/2 above)
   $data=file_get_contents("mycounter");
   if (!$data) {
      $data=0;
   }
   $data++;
   return $data;
}

function save($d) { // writes incremented number to count file, #3 above
   $write=file_put_contents("mycounter",$d);
}

function display() { // displays number of page loads, #4 above
   $data=file_get_contents("mycounter");
   echo "<p>This page has been loaded $data times.</p>";
}


$pageloads=increment();
save($pageloads);
display();

?>

[frih]

this is to be done without using files and mysql.

[dalecosp]

Good luck then. Storage is storage; even $COOKIE and $SESSION are files if you get down to brass tacks.

[dalecosp]

And, are you sure you've not misinterpreted somehow? The authors of said book are all members here and well aware of the nature of PHP and web programming.

[frih]

this is given in the second chapter of the book. well i guess it is to be done using session or cookies.

[frih]

here it is---it is not function based but it can be made easily--

<?php
session_start();
if(!isset($SESSION['counter']))
{
$SESSION['counter']=1;
echo " you have visited this page for 1 times";

}
else
{
$SESSION['counter']++;
echo " you have visited this page for ".$SESSION['counter']."times";
}
?>