Dynamic Configuration File Updater

[RobertP]

i have coded a simple yet very diverse method to update an array inside configuration.php, while retaining comments / user notes.

 

this method works no problem on a windows platform, but since my project needs to be cross-platform i need to figure out what the issue is on my ubuntu. i know that the issue is in the $replacements array (containing a key => value for a simple preg_replace)

 

$keys argument is a simple string array eg: ['debug','siteUrl','defaultTimezone']

$config argument is a preloaded config array eg: ['debug'=>false,'siteUrl'=>'hxxp://127.0.0.1','defaultTimezone'=>'America/Toronto']

 

 public static function saveConfigByKey($keys, $config) {
if (!is_array($keys)) {
trigger_error('Admin::saveConfigByKey: Invalid keys.', E_USER_NOTICE);
return false;
}
$replacements = array();
foreach ($keys as $key) {
if (!array_key_exists('f_' . $key, $_POST))
return false;
$newVal = addslashes($_POST['f_' . $key]);
$config[$key] = $newVal;
if ($newVal != 'true' && $newVal != 'false' && !is_numeric($newVal))
$newVal = '\'' . $newVal . '\'';
elseif ($newVal == '\'\'') {
$newVal = 'null';
$config[$key] = null;
} elseif ($newVal == 'true' || $newVal == 'false')
$config[$key] = $newVal == 'true';
$replacements['#\'' . $key . '\'=>(.*),#'] = '\'' . $key . '\'=>' . $newVal . ',';
}
$rawConfig = file_get_contents(_SOURCES . 'Configuration.php');
$rawConfig = preg_replace(array_keys($replacements), array_values($replacements), $rawConfig);
echo($rawConfig);exit;
copy(_SOURCES . 'Configuration.php', _SOURCES . 'files' . _DS . 'Configuration.backup.php');
//exit($rawConfig);//test
if (!file_put_contents(_SOURCES . 'Configuration.php', $rawConfig)) {
trigger_error('Admin::saveConfigByKey: Internal error.', E_USER_NOTICE);
copy(_SOURCES . 'files' . _DS . 'Configuration.backup.php', _SOURCES . 'Configuration.php');
return false;
}
return true;
}

 

 

Configuration.php

<?php

if (!defined('_ROOT'))
exit(header($_SERVER['SERVER_PROTOCOL'] . ' 404 Not Found'));

$this->config = array(
//===> general
'debug' => false,
'siteUrl' => 'http://127.0.0.1', //no trailing slash.
'defaultTimezone' => 'America/Toronto',
'displayPageLoadInfo' => true,
'defaultLanguage' => 'english',
'enableSEFLinks' => true,
'defaultPage' => 'index',
'disable404' => false,
);
?>

[Christian F.]

Why not just write (and read) a serialized array to (from) the file?

[RobertP]

Why not just write (and read) a serialized array to (from) the file?

 

Well, what is faster / performance-wise?

 

1. Include a file with an array already defined? (current implementation)

2. Include a file, then unserialize a variable and then populate the $config array?

 

The configuration file does not change, unless an administrator changes a setting inside the admin panel, so if it takes 0.3 seconds longer each time the file is saved, verse 0.3 (over exaggerating a little) each time my site is accessed to parse the config array?

 

My problem is not with my design (imho), it is with my reg-x pattern (is there a difference on what platform i execute preg_replace?)

[Christian F.]

The runtime differences are measured in nanoseconds, if that. So that's of no concern what so ever. This is premature micro-optimization, and a well known anti-pattern.

Do what's easiest to maintain, it'll save you a whole lot more time that would otherwise go to developing and debugging. Chances are very high that you'll save a lot more time by doing what's easiest for you, than doing what is programatically the fastest method.

[Psycho]

For what it's worth, you could consider creating your configuration file in the same structure as a PHP ini file and then use the PHP function parse_ini_file() to read the settings into memory as an associative array. There is also a user contributed write_php_ini in the user comments for writing the ini file. Personally, I would write the file in a way that is easily readable by a human.

[RobertP]

For what it's worth, you could consider creating your configuration file in the same structure as a PHP ini file and then use the PHP function parse_ini_file() to read the settings into memory as an associative array. There is also a user contributed write_php_ini in the user comments for writing the ini file. Personally, I would write the file in a way that is easily readable by a human.

 

Thank you for the hint towards parse_ini_file, this might just be my solution..

 

is there a difference on the line-endings??