General PHP Variable Questions

[CrazyImpling]

Okay, I'm a php newbie, and I want to make my own website for my map I'm making. I was wondering, is there a way to make a text box or something and then save it to a file in the root directory and then print variables out from the file in the root directory?

 

[mase]

Depends on how you want to save it. There is flat filing systems or database systems.

Flat File is what you're describing the most with the saving to a root directory and all so here is something that may help you.
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/tutorial/flat

 

[enouwee]

Okay, I'm a php newbie, and I want to make my own website for my map I'm making. I was wondering, is there a way to make a text box or something and then save it to a file in the root directory and then print variables out from the file in the root directory?

Something like this?

Depending on what you really want to save, you can serialize() / deserialize() something into the file, rather than just a form field. ALWAYS VALIDATE USER INPUT!

<?php

# validate user input
function validateInput()
{
        if (empty($_POST['myText']))
        {
                return false;
        }

        # make thorough checks here!

        return true;
}

function saveToFile()
{
        # I'm lazy ... PHP5 only.
        return file_put_contents('save.txt', $_POST['myText']);
}

function loadFromFile()
{
        # I'm lazy ... PHP5 only.
        return file_get_contents('save.txt');
}

function displayForm()
{
?>
<form action="<?php print $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="POST">
<textarea name="myText">your text goes here</textarea>
<input type="submit" />
</form>
<?php
}

# --------------------
# SCRIPT BEGINS HERE
# --------------------

$displayError = false;
$displayForm = false;

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] != 'POST')
{
        $displayForm = true;
}
else
{
        if (!validateInput())
        {
                $displayError = true;
                $displayForm = true;
        }
        else if (!saveToFile())
        {
                print '<p>Input could not be saved.</p>';
        }
}

if ($displayError)
{
        print '<p>input validation failed.</p>';
}

if ($displayForm)
{
        displayForm();
}
else
{
        print '<p>' . htmlspecialchars(loadFromFile()) . '</p>';
}

?>

 

[CrazyImpling]

Thanks for your help you two, I got it figured out now.