> Preferably, I want to implement this without adding a database table.
I hope to use a combination of both PHP & Javascript. Is this a
realistic approach?
Its doable. But I think using a database would be easier and give better
performance. Then again if you have no experience of database the former
probably isn't true.
I'd use an XML file.
- Have a form with name and message field or whatever you want. File
called "mainsite.h tml" say. Give the form action "addim.php"
- In "addim.php" make sure you don't echo anything and just write the
code to add the message to the XML file and then use Header("Locatio n:
mainsite.html") to send the user back to the same page. The user should
see nothing change at all but the processing will have been completed.
- Back in mainsite.html use a frame (anything that you can use to
display something from an external file) to show your instant messages.
Then that will automatically call "parseims.p hp" every time
"mainsite.h tml" is loaded
- Create "parseisms. php" to display the last 5 or so entries in the XML
file, and possibly delete those above to keep things fast.
- You could use JS in mainsite.html to refresh the contents of the frame
periodicly which you wouldn't be able to do with inline html code such
as a layer or table. Actually thinking about it you might but its
harder, depends how much you dislike frames.
I might try something like this for my own site come to think of it
Ollie
