I found a link to a tutorial for working with flat file databases on this forum. That's how I developed the code I have below... The code opens and displays all the records in a flatfile database, separated by tabs.

Now: Is there any way to have the PHP display only records that fulfill certain criteria...For example, what if I want to display only records whose $field1 variable (Column one) contains the text "Webmaster Talk"....Or something like that...?

$fp = fopen('stock.txt','r');
if (!$fp) {echo 'ERROR: Unable to open file. Email Andrew with the exact contents of this error, and this error ID: 05-29-2005-One-Fifty-Five</table></body></html>'; exit;}

while (!feof($fp)) {
$line = fgets($fp, 1024); //use 2048 if very long lines
list ($field1, $field2, $field3, $field4, $field5) = split ('	', $line);
$fp++;
echo '
<tr>
<td>'.$field1.'</td>
<td>'.$field2.'</td>
<td>'.$field3.'</td>
<td>'.$field4.'</td>
<td>'.$field5.'</td>
<td>'.$field6.'</td>
</tr>';
}
 
fclose($fp);

Thanks,

Andrew

You will have to either read lines in cycle and compare each of them or read the whole file into memory and sort it out in there. If a file is not very large (under 200K for example) and rarely updated, then it won't hurt a lot, but on large amounts of data which is changed or added frequently it is strongly recommended to use MySQL. If you already ask about queries then in not-too-far future you will need more flexibility with your queries, thus you will have to reinvent the bicycle.

The info is updated often, which is why I use a flatfile. I haven't found anyone who can tell me how to have a computer automatically update a MySQL database. The process must be streamlined, and it must be automated, as this information is upated 1-2 times a day.

As I cannot find a solution for this problem, it seems that I am the star crossed lover of the flatfile. I can use the software I downloaded recently, which is designed to automatically upload files on a scheduled basis. Using that, in union with an Access database, which updates the data on a scheduled basis, and exports it into a tab-separated file, I'll be able to automate the entire process.

The flatfile is about 104KB...If it grows, I can split it into several flatfiles.

If anyone has a suggestion as to how to update a MySQL database automatically, (I need to have no part of it...The computer I put to this task shouldn't even have to have a monitor) please let me know. The data I would be updating with is already automatically generated....And I use GoDaddy, which features MyPhPAdmin.

Thanks,

Andrew

You can write a php/perl/whatever script and schedule it on your server with cron so it starts on specified time, grabs remote server and does your mysql updates. Or you may schedule your local program so that it sends the file to your script which parses it and inserts into mysql. I didn't think it's such a problem to synchronize data.

lol...Where were you a week ago...? Thanks. So I can schedule a php script? On my server? (As you can tell, I haven't been at this much)

While I Google this concept, do you have any links or something that might be helpful to me in this project?

Thanks very much. You've made my day.

Andrew

If you have unix-like OS on your server then you should use crontab for sheduling your script.
1. Login to your server via telnet or ssh
2. Type <b>pico mytasks</b> - this will start pico editor, usually it is installed on most unix-like systems
3. Type <b>0 0,12 * * * php /path/to/your/script.php &</b>
4. Press Ctrl-O, Ctrl-X (write out, close the editor)
5. Type <b>crontab mytasks</b>

Explained:
crontab command format has following fields:
- minute (0-59)
- hour (0-23)
- day of month (1-31)
- month of year (1-12)
- day of week (0-6, 0 is the sunday)
- next field is optional, it means the user who will run the task (I omitted it in my example)
- command field
In my example your script will start at 0:00 and 12:00 every day. Read more here about crontab: http://www.computerhope.com/unix/ucrontab.htm