fopen, fwrite, fclose ++ whats with the handle

[etnastyles]

Hello,

 

I am wanting to create a new file on my server using the below file functions,

one thing im not 100% on is the $handle var.

 

why open a $handle to a file that dosnt exist on the server???

 

i see the below as open a handle to a file with name that i specify

then write to the file + add my data then close the file..

 

could you ignore the open bit (fopen)

 

code:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

$handle = fopen($sourcefilename, 'x+');

fwrite($handle, $stringData);

fclose($handle) or die ("error closing handle. see admin..");

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[rajivgonsalves]

you have to create a handle this acts as a resource identifying linking php to the file system.

[kenrbnsn]

The handle variable is what PHP uses as a pointer to the file. If the file doesn't exist and you use the correct mode when you open it, the file will be created.

 

BTW, you really should have the "or die" clause on the fopen, not the fclose.

<?php
$handle = fopen($sourcefilename,'x+') or die("Could not open the file $sourcefilename, see admin...");
?>

 

Also, you can use any variable name, not just $handle. I use $fp, for "file pointer".

 

Ken

[etnastyles]

i was going to ask about the error checking

 

the file isnt even created yet so do i need the or die() because it dosnt exist..

wont this just fail.

 

code:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

$handle = fopen($sourefilename, 'x+') or die("Could not open the file $sourcefilename, see admin...");

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[kenrbnsn]

If you had read the manual page for the fopen() function, you should have seen the following explanation for the "x+" mode:

Create and open for reading and writing; place the file pointer at the beginning of the file. If the file already exists, the fopen() call will fail by returning FALSE and generating an error of level E_WARNING. If the file does not exist, attempt to create it.

 

Ken