-----Original Message----- From: Richard Lynch [mailto:ceo@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 10:14 PM To: Ross Hulford Cc: php-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: incrementing a number from a text file >> I want to read a number from an external (txt) file and increment it.then >> save the number back on the text file. >> I know this is possible but want a simple amd economical way to do this. > That's what you *THINK* you want to do :-) > But what happens when *TWO* users hit that same script at exactly the same > time. <snip> > This is why so many early "hit counter" scripts back in the day were > always getting messed up and reset to 0. Don´t increase if counter is not read? > What you really want, almost for sure, is an SQL database with "sequences" I try NOT to use databases if not nessecary > You *can* use http://php.net/flock, but even that is a Bad Idea, because > flock under Un*x is self-imposed -- If some *other* program/script/user > decides not change that file and doesn't use flock, well, they're not > STOPPED from doing that. Poor programming? > flock is therefore all too subject to human fallibility when you re-work, > re-write, or add more code to your system. Every code is... if You don´t use Your head, the outcome will be...? If U no nothing about SQL, I use a database to a counter, I get a piece of code from a friend "alter table counter auto_increment = 1"; and I´m curious to see, what it does? Or better: I put my query in a link like <a href="db.php?q=select+*+from+customers">show customers</a> and I´ve got NO clue about the settings in the mysql db, so this gets "funny" <a href="db.php?q=delete+from+customers">show customers</a> <a href="db.php?q=drop+table+customers">show customers</a> *whistle* This _was_ an issue in a company I worked for, along with queries like: Select blablabla FROM t1,t2,t3 WHERE customers LIKE '%$s%' OR name LIKE '%$s%' OR domain LIKE '%$s%' OR email LIKE '%$s%' OR log LIKE '%$s%' AND t1.id = t2.t1_id AND t1.id = t3.t1_id Horror! Kind regards Kim Madsen -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
