PHP Stock Checker & Price Comparison

[wadet]

 

I am looking for some advice on how I would go about creating a script does checks stock from popular online retailers, and also pulls in the price and then arranges them from cheapest to most expensive, you probably will know what I mean,

 

There are plenty websites online already that do this, but something I want to achieve is on a smaller scale and just for one product, reason being is that its for a university project of mine and I just need something smaller to focus on, the basics of such a script really.

 

I am learning PHP from the ground up, so keeping it simple is best.

 

Sites like http://www.wii-consoles.co.uk/  and http://www.cheapest-in-stock.com/

 

I have seen various scripts I could by online, however as this is for a project, I need to create it myself from the ground up, though working from an example would be good, I'm wondering if anyone here could give me a few tips as to what such a script requires, and what I am likely to have to learn.

 

I look forwards to your replies!

 

Thx

 

wadet

[GuardianGI]

how are you going to collect the prices (where are u going to get them from?)

if u get them manually and make a database table form them u can simply get them using

mysql_query('SELECT * FROM `products` SORT BY `price`;');

something in that direction.

if u deice to get them 'on the fly' I'd insert them all into an array and then use php's built in asort($array);

you'd get something like this (i have 3 test values in the array since i have no idea how u plan on getting them.)

$array = array('productA'=>12, 'productB'=>17, 'productC'=>11.5 );

asort($array);

echo 'least expensive to most expensive:<br />';

foreach($array as $key=>$val)

{

  echo $key.' at $'.$val.'<br />';

}

/*would output (after being parsed by a browser)

least expensive to most expensive:

productC at $11.5

productA at $12

productB at $17

*/

you would just have to make something to insert your product names (or location or w/e) into he key field and the value into the value of the arrays

EDIT: changed sort to asort, since a sort doesn't leave the keys in tact!

[wadet]

Hey! Cheers for the reply!

 

Well, I am not entirely sure how I would get any data to be honest, the prices and whichever other data would come from the retailers websites...

 

Far as I know, regarding the stock part is the script perhaps looks for the common words a retailer would use to describe or show thier product was in stock, so the script can pick that out.

 

Far as anytihng else I really just need suggestions as to how this script would go together to do what I need it to do, I dont have any php knowledge so pretty much dont have a clue. I have been doing research trying to find similiar scripts available online so that I can study them. I would then understand them once I have learnt some php ( I am currently working through a beginners PHP book)

 

 

Cheers!