What you're asking about is a "flatfile". It's a simple text file that you can read/write/modify. Lookup the fopen, fread, and fwrite commands at php.net. A flatfile solution is a little easier to learn but you'll quickly find lots of limitations.
The right way to do the job is with a database. PHP is perfect for connecting to databases like MySQL, Postgres, and MSSQL. Even if it's overkill for this job... this job is the perfect way to learn to use a database. Seriously, it will take you twice as long to learn to use the database technique but it will pay off about a billion times for you.
Google for php mysql tutorial and you'll find thousands of web sites that will help you. There are a few basic skills you'll need to learn to do this job with a database:
- building the database (use phpmyadmin or learn ssh and do it at the command line)
- connecting your PHP script to the database
- reading the data from the database
- displaying the results
then you can move on to the next skills:
- building a web form to input new data
- writing the new data to the database
Believe me, this skill sounds daunting but when you've got it, you will wonder why you ever thought a flatfile was a good idea. It will save you time and give you the skills to make lots of money doing all sorts of projects.
