*** Need a simple solution... ***

[devs]

Hi people could you please help me out? - I'm trying to find a way to do the following…

I'm creating a web page that will contain a table with five columns with different headings. I need to allow users to complete a form with various information and submit the information and automatically add information to the table. The users may also at times need to update or change some of the information that they have previously added to the table.

Hope this is clear it seems like a quite straight operation - but I don't have any ideas how I can do this. I do not have access to PHP ASP, MySQL or any other databases - Ideally I would like to use CGI Script - but I'm open to any suggestions!

Many Thanks,

dEVS!

[GateKeeper]

I don't think you are going to find anyone who can tell you how to do what you are asking. Without MySQL (or any other database) you are going to have to use text files. If you are really talented with your scripts you could make these editable, but if you were that talented you wouldn't have posted. On top of that, without PHP your script is going to be 5 to 10 times as long and will use at least 3 times the resources. This may also cause a problem with your hosting company.

My suggestion is use another hosting service. There are tons out there that support PHP and MySQL. And if you don't have too much traffic you can always make a server out of your home machine. All the software is free you know.

Good luck.

[devs]

Hi GateKeeper, and thanks for the reply mate! I've just found out that I have access to PHP but not MySQL - I'm pretty sure that there is someone on this board that could help me out with this one as I don't feel its reall rocket science? If you take a look at the following URL you ill is the kind of thing that I'm trying to automate...

http://www.green-turtle-design.com/help.html

Thanks in advance for anyone that can help with this one!

Cheers,

dEVS!

[GateKeeper]

Well at least you have PHP. You will want to ask if you have PHP4 or PHP3. There are quite a lot of servers out there that have not seen a need to upgrade to PHP4, and some of your code will be different.

With PHP you can make a script that will write to a file so that each 'task' entered creates it's own file. Then you can set it to through in a special character in between fields (I usually use a ~, but that's usually for Flash ActionScript coding). For your purpose I would suggest using the 'htmlspecialchar()' function to replace characters like '>' and then use the '>' to seperate all your variables when you write it to the file. Then your PHP script would call the contents of those files and display them like your example by seperating the contents of the file into an array. And then your edit function would call the file and display it in the same form as your 'Post New Task' form.

The drawback is that your one PHP script is going to have to open and read the contents of each file to display then all. You can reduce this slightly by using just one file. This would be done by first seperating each of the fields of each task with a '>' and then seperating each task with a '<'. Then your script would open the file, seperate the tasks into an array and seperate each array into each field.

Regardless of which method you choose, I suggest you enclude a hidden field (the last field of your task array) and use it as a unique identifier. Most people just use an absolute date stamp as an identifier.

date("YmdHis"); 

Does that get you started?

[aamaker]

save yourself the headache and use ASP... go to www.aspin.com and there will probably be a script to use...

I have something written in ASP that is perfect (i think) based on how you described it...

let me know if you need to see a demo of it first...

its a really easy asp script that allows someone to update a text block... the block of text can be automatically formatted (by user or hardcoded) and best of all, its simple text entry and click a save button - i like to call it dummy proof content management.

Clients i do sites for love it...


-A

Originally posted by devs
Hi people could you please help me out? - I'm trying to find a way to do the following…

I'm creating a web page that will contain a table with five columns with different headings. I need to allow users to complete a form with various information and submit the information and automatically add information to the table. The users may also at times need to update or change some of the information that they have previously added to the table.

Hope this is clear it seems like a quite straight operation - but I don't have any ideas how I can do this. I do not have access to PHP ASP, MySQL or any other databases - Ideally I would like to use CGI Script - but I'm open to any suggestions!

Many Thanks,

dEVS!

[devs]

Hi GateKeeper and many thanks for all your help with this but I feel that I'm having to go with the suggestion made by aamaker as I'm really running out for time on this one. I need to get somthing up and running this morning?!? ;( So aamaker if you could please send me accross that ASP script ASP. I would be really greatful my pm is devs1@usa.net. I one question aamaker will I need MySQL for this script?

Cheers,

dEVS!