[SOLVED] Loops

[dylandcor]

I have a code that checks if a particular word document exists.  The content gets updated most weeks and the word documents have the form LeaderMMDDYY.doc.

 

Is there any way to extend this script so that if a file doesn't exist, it will create a link to the most recent file going back week by week until it finds one?  All I would need it to change would be $last date.  I know that this script is laziness at it's finest, but it would make my life easier.

 

$last_date = "032909";  //This is what I need to change with the loop.
$sunday = date('mdy', strtotime('last sunday'));
if (file_exists("../a/b/Leader$sunday.doc")){
$leader = "<a href='http://www.domain.com/a/b/Leader$sunday.doc'>Leader Questions</a>";
}else{
$leader = "<a href='http://www.domain.com/a/b/Leader$last_date.doc'>Leader Questions</a>";
}

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[thebadbad]

We can read in all the filenames with glob() and then find the most recent:

 

<?php
$files = glob('../a/b/Leader*.doc');
$newest = 0;
foreach ($files as $file) {
   $filename = basename($file);
   //construct standard date (yyyy-mm-dd) from filename
   $stddate = '20' . substr($filename, 10, 2) . '-' . substr($filename, 6, 2) . '-' . substr($filename, 8, 2);
   //if file's date is more recent than the most recent yet, update the most recent $newest
   if (strtotime($stddate) > $newest) {
      $newest = strtotime($stddate);
   }
}
$last_date = date('mdy', strtotime($newest));
?>

 

Your code except the first line would then follow.

[dylandcor]

Thank you for your quick reply.

 

Your code seems to be working except one tiny thing.  It links to Leader041000.doc?

 

Any suggestions?

 

This is my current code

$files = glob('./a/b/Leader*.doc');
$newest = 0;
foreach ($files as $file) {
   $filename = basename($file);
   //construct standard date (yyyy-mm-dd) from filename
   $stddate = '20' . substr($filename, 10, 2) . '-' . substr($filename, 6, 2) . '-' . substr($filename, 8, 2);
   //if file's date is more recent than the most recent yet, update the most recent $newest
   if (strtotime($stddate) > $newest) {
      $newest = strtotime($stddate);
   }
}
$last_date = date('mdy', strtotime($newest));
$sunday = date('mdy', strtotime('last sunday'));
if (file_exists("./a/b/Leader$sunday.doc")){
$leader = "<a href='http://www.domain.com/a/b/Leader$sunday.doc'>Leader Questions</a>";
}else{
$leader = "<a href='http://www.domain.com/a/b/Leader$last_date.doc'>Leader Questions</a>";
}

[thebadbad]

What's the output of

 

echo '<pre>', print_r($files, true), '</pre>';

 

if you run that after the glob() function?

[dylandcor]

This is what came up:

Array
(
    [0] => ./documents/agendas/Leader030809.doc
    [1] => ./documents/agendas/Leader031509.doc
    [2] => ./documents/agendas/Leader032209.doc
    [3] => ./documents/agendas/Leader032909.doc
    [4] => ./documents/agendas/Leader041209.doc
)

[thebadbad]

Ah, had a simple mistake. strtotime() shouldn't be run on $newest, since it's already a time stamp:

 

$last_date = date('mdy', $newest);

 

And if you simply want to link to the latest doc, you can shorten your code:

 

<?php
$files = glob('./a/b/Leader*.doc');
$newest = 0;
foreach ($files as $file) {
   $filename = basename($file);
   //construct standard date (yyyy-mm-dd) from filename
   $stddate = '20' . substr($filename, 10, 2) . '-' . substr($filename, 6, 2) . '-' . substr($filename, 8, 2);
   //if file's date is more recent than the most recent yet, update the most recent $newest
   if (strtotime($stddate) > $newest) {
      $newest = strtotime($stddate);
   }
}
$last_date = date('mdy', $newest);
$leader = "<a href='http://www.domain.com/a/b/Leader$last_date.doc'>Leader Questions</a>";
?>

[dylandcor]

Thank you SO much for sticking with me.  I really appreciate it!  Problem solved.

[thebadbad]

You're welcome!