Read specific line from text file using PHP

Originally Posted by Johnymap

Hi everyone.

The text file i am using has the following format:

"2001_1.rtf" (1 January 2001) Ookame v Tombale (CCF No. 203 of 2001) [2001] BWHC 1
"2001_2.rtf" (1 January 2001) Kgaimena v Leoifo (MISCA F.572 of 2001) [2001] BWHC 2
"2002_1.rtf" (7 June 2002) Olebeng v The State (C A No. F104 of 2001) [2002] BWHC 1
"2003_1.rtf" (1 January 2003) Sebogodi v Sebogodi (Matrimonial Cause No.F68 of 2003) [2003] BWHC 1

So i have a dropdown form object populated with years, if the user select 2001(for eg.) on the form, I have to read the last value of that year from the text file which is "2001_2.rtf" (1 January 2001) Kgaimena v Leoifo (MISCA F.572 of 2001) [2001] BWHC 2
do some processing and write back some new data to the text file under this specific line not at the end of file.

Please help me

Originally Posted by nathj

Hi,

Short of changing this to use a database I would recommend that you take alook at the file functions in php.

It is possible to take a file to an array with each line being an elemetn in the array. Then wne an item is selected you can search for it in the array using PHP's array functions and that should give you the answer you are after.

So try file to get the array, thenuse a foreach to traverse the array or to get sspefic key.

If you need to read from and write to the text file you will need to look at the low level file functions as well.

However, all of this headache would simply go away if you could use a database for this.

Cheers
nathj

Originally Posted by Johnymap

Thanks nathj

unfortunatelly I am not allowed to use a database for this matter, its just some co. policy. So, do you have some code that i can use to solve this. i have looked almost everywhere for help but nothing seems to be helping.

Please help