General advice for a newcomer

**guyd** · 03-01-2005 08:18 AM

I want to write a page with a limited feedback form - basically a yes/no poll with postcodes able to be logged. I've seen (and got) code (PHP) for a poll. Anyone got advice on a better or easier way to do it. Even better, anyone got any script that already fulfills this function. I'm not a techie so please go easy on me...

**SpectreReturns** · 03-01-2005 11:20 PM

Here, I'm not going to test this, but I'll write it out.

Make a new HTML file, call it "form.html". Inside write:

Code:

<html>
<body>
<form action="poll.php" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="poll" value="{pollname}">
<input type="hidden" name="method" value="vote">
<input type="hidden" name="options" value="2">
<input type="radio" name="choice" value="1" checked>Yes<br>
<input type="radio" name="choice" value="0">No<p>
<input type="submit" value="Vote!">
</form>
</body>
</html>

Replace {pollname} with the name of the poll. We'll use it to record values.

Now, make the file, "poll.php". Inside write this:

PHP Code:


<?php



// This creates the file that holds the poll data, if it doesn't exist. It uses the OPTIONS element from the form to figure out how many possibilities there should be.

if (!file_exists($POST['poll'].'.dat')) {

 $file = fopen($POST['poll'].'.dat','a+');

 for ($i=0;$i<$_POST['options'];$i++) {

  fwrite($file,$i.'=0'."\n");

 }

 fclose($file);

}



if (@$_POST['method'] == "vote") {

 $data = file($POST['poll'].'.dat');

 $temp = explode('=',$data[$_POST['choice']]);

 $temp[1]++;

 $data[$_POST['choice']] = implode('=',$data[$_POST['choice']]);



 unlink($POST['poll'].'.dat');

 $file = fopen($POST['poll'].'.dat','a+');

 for ($i=0;$i<$_POST['options'];$i++) {

  fwrite($file,implode("\n",$data));

 }

 fclose($file);

}



?>

Now, this will record data like this:
0=5
1=3
Where the first number is the option, and the second is the amounts of votes it has recieved.

[I honestly have no idea if this will work, as I haven't tested it, but it should.]

**guyd** · 03-04-2005 05:36 AM

Thank you! Will try it out...

For the future of a site, any general advice over which server side technology is the most future proof / recommended?

**scragar** · 03-04-2005 05:48 AM

PHP = free and easy.
ASP = corperate and horrible
CGI = nice, but without cookies the users is ignored

I think that answers your question, PHP is the easiest and its free, it also has the fewest reported bugs and known errors.
ASP is a coperate thing, mircosoft would put up patent on serverside technology to stop people from ignoreing ASP if they could, luckily they didn't develop it.
CGI is nice, but unlike ASP and PHP you don't have easy methods of setting up cookies if the user don't have them enabled, a reason why many CGI sites that require cookies get less visitors.

**CyCo** · 03-04-2005 12:17 PM

Originally posted by scragar
CGI = nice, but without cookies the users is ignored
...
...

...
CGI is nice, but unlike ASP and PHP you don't have easy methods of setting up cookies if the user don't have them enabled, a reason why many CGI sites that require cookies get less visitors.

Hi, scragar...

Would you mind explaining the above? Being a Perl CGI scripter, myself, I don't really understand what you are saying.

**buntine** · 03-04-2005 08:21 PM

And me having been working with ASP for several years, I also dont know what your saying. You also didnt mention the two most powerful and industry-leading technologies, being the .NET framework and JSP.

Regards.

**scragar** · 03-08-2005 07:23 AM

if you use cookies on the users computer via CGI and they have them disabled CGI cannot (usualy) detect this and/or cover this in some way.

ASP can be made to produce some form of protection from this but it's not secure, while PHP's is the best workaround I have seen.

As for my statement about ASP it's driven purely by my harted of microslop.

**buntine** · 03-08-2005 09:08 AM

Your statement is incorrent, though. It comes off making you look ignorant. You let very uneducated quarrels get in the way. ASP is free and easy to setup. ASP (and especially .NET) offer fantasitc security options/tools -- they have to considering their technologies are among the industry leaders.

**guyd** · 03-08-2005 11:03 AM

Other than reading from yourselves and gleaning info gradually from you, is there anywhere i can learn PHP to be able to add interactivity to my site myself? Any read made resources?

**buntine** · 03-08-2005 08:21 PM

The best way is to buy a book. Or atleast borrow one from a local library. Resources on the WWW are often outdated and/or incorrect -- not to mention incomplete.

www.php.net offers excellent (and official) learning resources. Other than that, try www.amazon.com

Regards.

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