Flat file databases

[Jam87]

Hi,

 

I've recently been trying to build a user specific phone book using flat file databases. Basically I want php to create a flat file that is unique, and only accessible by that particular user. So when the file is created for example, each database reflects the particular users name, danny.txt for instance. So danny logs onto the site, and browses to the phonebook page, where php loads only his particular flat file database and lets him edit it accordingly.

 

Any help would be much appreciated, I've looked through various tutorials but none seem to indicate how to create user specific databases.

 

 

[per1os]

Although slow they can be effective.

 

Anyhow you need to look into the fopen, fwrite and fclose via php.net

 

http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.fopen.php

 

That should help you on your way.

[tarun]

Have You Got A Login System Yet?

[Jam87]

Yes, i've got a mysql powered user login system, is there a way i can call the users name and use that to create a database with that name?

[tarun]

Well If You Could Call The Username In A Variable

 

You Could Do Something Like:

 

include("phonebooks/$username.txt");

[interpim]

$filename=$user . ".txt";

 

fopen($filename) will create a file if it doesn't exist...

 

if you read up on this stuff  http://us3.php.net/fopen

 

you can get a lot more info on how to do this, for example what different methods you can use, and what happens with each different method.

[per1os]

Why are you storing the phonebook in a flat file if you have a DB? I would store it in a table on the database, it will work faster than the flatfile.

[Jam87]

I'm still getting to grips with php, and have no idea how to seperate each users records so that only he can see them

 

Any help or direction is much appreciated

 

Thanks for all the help so far