A serious Problem needing solution.

Anon

Hi there People, my name is Mortekai and i have a problem that keeps spinning in my head. I have a site that contain a RPG chat based on the ever popular WoD setting from whitewolf. The chat contain a flat file database that hold the login and password to the chat.

The major problem of the site is that unless you are logged into the chat you can not see if anyone is visiting the site (a cgi room rooster show the logged entries on a special page. So what i need is a way to show just how many are at the pages at any given time.
The preferred way would be if a PHP script could be linked to the flatline database and show the people logged in by their login name and the number of guests as a separate count.

making the display something like this:

Visitors on Page: 231

Guests: 228

Members:
Mortekai
Lyoness
Karl

I have ideas on taking this even further by adding a membership profile database to each membername and so on, but that is perhaps stretching my good luck...s

Since i am a rookie on PHP i dont have what it takes to figure this out myself and i need some pointers if anyone would like to help me out.

Anon

Go to the www.php.net php manual, and try looking up the following functions:

explode
print_r (to run on the result of explode so you can see how to access the data in it)

Since it's a flatfile database I assume it to be seperated by some character, even if it's just "\n" (newline).

Just explode out the file, and then you can probably do what you're wanting to do.

Anon

post the format of the file and one of us could easily give you a sample code that should work. but yes, it would be nice if you had everything delimited (uniquely seperated)

ie:

username::password::logged_in::current_page

you could easily do:

$array = explode("::", $file);

print_r ($array);

cheers,

~kyle

Anon

hmmm....when you say format you mean whay exactly?

a normal entry would look something like this:

Account ID: 5
Account Name: test
Email: test@thedarkcity.nu
Registered IP: 213.65.130.243
Date: Fri Mar 30 11:31:07 2001

These entries are stored in a .txt file as seen above.

I figure you would also need to know the field names of these entries as well and i am trying to locate them.

Perhaps i should mention that this is a CGI chat.....s

anyway, if anyone have a little patience and want to help you can go to http://www.thedarkcity.nu and see the chat in action. You should also be able to locate me there if i am online or you can try contact me through icq: 18974686, AIM: M 0 R T E K A I, Odigo: 2590746.

Any help will be most appreciated.

fandelem

hmm.. well, if they are all seperated by \n's (seperate lines).. then it will be easy..

try something like:

$entry_lines = 5; // number of lines per user entry in file
for ( $i = 0; $i < $entry_lines; $i++ ) {
$entry_array = explode("\n", $filename);
}
print_r($entry_array); // this should print out one user account

keep in mind, however, to add everything up you will need to be creative with counters ;o)

i definitely suggest doing some searches on flat file i/o manipulations in the forums and see what you can come up with as well.

~kyle

Anon

Does this show all the logged in players, or just one?

And what additonal coding is required to show all people visiting the site, not just the ones logged in as shown above?

Is there anyway to code in so that you can view who has been online for the past 2 hours or so as well?

sighs

The questions are so many..s
Wish i had knowledge about this, but i dont and i really need help.

Anon

my icq is 6695439. i'll be on after 4:30pm est -- i'll talk with you then instead of playing board-post talk ;o)

disclaimer: i've only been working with php for about 3 and half weeks ;o)

but i always enjoy learning how to do something; and it hasn't been a problem (so far) finding a resource that shows me how to do something.. if that's any reassurance ;o)

cheers,

~kyle

Anon

I just read the article about logging with PHP (http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/tim20001211.php3) and i was thinking that parhaps that is something that i could use?

I will have to see if the system we use now can be altered to a MySql database instead of a flatbased, but if it is possible i think perhaps this is something that can be useful. Otherwise this probably can be altered to a flatbased....

From what i read (know that i am very tired and have a recking pain in my arm that keep me up..so i can be mistaken..s) that particular script can do several things that i find useful, or can be altered to do so.

What is interresting for me is to get the following information:

#Who is on the site on now?
#Of those on the site, who is logged in?
#Those logged on, how long did they stay?
#Who visited the site last ( last 20 logged in shown, regardless of time of login)?

Just how to make that is not clear to me, but with your help i am sure it will come to me..*s'