Trying to make a simple script but need help.

[BorderC]

It's been a long time since I used php and I lost my book on it. So, here's what I need to do. It's really simple but I forget how.

I want to have a page where someone can go and fill out a form, and have the form write to a file that I can then include (SSI) on another page. This way other admins of my site can put in their name and write "news" for the main page of my site and have it automatically display on the main page. And I want the new news to be written to the top of the file to be included, so it shows up as the most recent post. I've done it before but like I said it has been a long time. like 6 years and I totally forget how to do it and cant find my book  :(

[scott212]

Not really sure what SSI is...

But the rest isn't too difficult:

1. Get the data from the form with $_GET['blah'] or $_POST['poo'] and do any form validation you may want.

2. writing:
$pathToFile = "/news.dat";
$handle = fopen($pathToFile, 'a'); // opens the file for appending
$content = "write me"; // clear your data of line breaks and line ends. (I usually replace it with ":::" or something so I can replace them later)
fwrite($handle, $content); // write to the file
fclose($handle);

3. reading:
$handle = fopen($pathToFile, 'r');
$entries = file($handle); //  reads the file into an array, indexed by new lines
$entries = array_reverse($entries); // reverse the array so new entries appear first
fclose($handle);

4. iterate over the array however you want to display the contents.

Is this what you wanted to do? I would recommend looking at http://www.tizag.com/phpT/fileread.php for more help

[papaface]

SSI = server side include

[magic2goodil]

perhaps a better approach would be to make a mysql database for your news...stores the date, the news, and who posted it...that way you would be more efficient i believe.

[BorderC]

Yeah, I think you're right, Magic. Now I'll just have to remember how to do that too. If I only had my book lol. guess I should buy another  :(

[scott212]

well you obviously have the internet... Never seen a bigger book!  ;D

[BorderC]

Yes, but the book I had covered everything and was easy to understand. Well, not everything, but most of the basics which is all I need. It was called "PHP Essentials". I'm going to try what you suggested too Scott.

[magic2goodil]

If you get ambitious, I would suggest the mysql db..as scott said, internet = biiiggg book, lol