What Programming Language To Use?

Chong

Ok Guys,

Just a little advice if you will. I have some programming background in java but its been a while , anyways I have to do a small project in work and I am unsure what Language to go for.

Basically its simple , a web page that takes in 3 textbox inputs and a submit button, these inputs are combined in to txt document thats write to folder on a server, simple, but just wondering what I should use to code it?

Cheers

Will

forbairt

God ... to be honest .. anything will be able to handle that ...

personally I'd use php ...

no doubt windows people will say asp ...


Really use what you're comfortable with ...

is it on a windows server ? or linux / unix

http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.fwrite.php

shows how to write to a file ...

This will be running from a webserver (webpage) or will you require a stand alone application ?

StickyMcGinty

if its in work, obviously depending on your company, you might have to use something on the .NET framework. otherwise use PHP, easily done

Chong

Its on a Windows box the folder.

Would PHP be the better choice over ASP?

Chong

Sorry I should have been more clearer , the 3 inputs are written to a txt doc , then this text doc is saved to a folder that sits on a windows box.

forbairt

First html file

form posts to input.php
inputText1
inputText2
inputText3

second file

<?php
$filename = 'test.txt';
$somecontent = $_REQUEST["inputText1"].$_REQUEST["inputText2"].$_REQUEST["inputText3"];

// Let's make sure the file exists and is writable first.
if (is_writable($filename)) {

    // In our example we're opening $filename in append mode.
    // The file pointer is at the bottom of the file hence
    // that's where $somecontent will go when we fwrite() it.
    if (!$handle = fopen($filename, 'a')) {
         echo "Cannot open file ($filename)";
         exit;
    }

    // Write $somecontent to our opened file.
    if (fwrite($handle, $somecontent) === FALSE) {
        echo "Cannot write to file ($filename)";
        exit;
    }

    echo "Success, wrote ($somecontent) to file ($filename)";

    fclose($handle);

} else {
    echo "The file $filename is not writable";
}
?> 

and .... you're done ...

assuming its on the same server the script is running on ...

Permissions on the folders its writing to will have to be set as well ...

but thats the general gist of it ...

Chong

So its as simple as integrating the piece of php into the HTML , and away I go?

forbairt

<form method="post" action="input.php">
<input type="text" name="inputText1" />
<input type="text" name="inputText2" />
<input type="text" name="inputText3" />
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit" />
</form>

First file is this ...

second file is the previou code ... and name it input.php

put the two files in the same directory maybe call the other one index.php


if you want to just set it up to test get a copy of wampserver - http://www.wampserver.com/en/index.php

its a one click php / mysql / apache install ...

And .... put two two files .. into a directory underneath
c:\wamp\www\

and test it out ...

that is at its most basic ... but I'm not entirely sure how advanced you want to go ... you can check out various frameworks .. or you could just go with asp ... java .... jsp ...

thats all untested so I've probably made a bug somewhere but you should be able to get the general gist of it all

Chong

Excellent I will give it a go tomorrow , cheers for the great advice guys.

forbairt

Thats what we're getting paid to do ...
er ... am ... er ...

Chong

Ok apparently I am not allowed do this in the company I work , as I we use ASP and are unable to use the server I have with Php.

Any other ideas, how I can do this, is possible in ASP?

forbairt

Just a quick google .. asp write to file .. its your friend ...

<%
function WriteToFile(FileName, Contents, Append)
on error resume next

if Append = true then
   iMode = 8
else 
   iMode = 2
end if
set oFs = server.createobject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set oTextFile = oFs.OpenTextFile(FileName, iMode, True)
oTextFile.Write Contents
oTextFile.Close
set oTextFile = nothing
set oFS = nothing

end function

%>

<HTML>
<BODY>

<%

WriteToFile "C:\Test1.txt", "Hello How are you", True
WriteToFile "C:\Test2.txt", "Hello How are you", false
WriteToFile "C:\Test1.txt", chr(13) & chr(10) & "I am fine", true
WriteToFile "C:\Test2.txt", chr(13) & chr(10) & "I am fine", false
'Test1.txt contains:
'Hello How are you
'I am fine

'Test2.text contains:

'I am fine
%>
Write to File test is complete
</BODY>
</HTML>

Chong

Cheers for all the help Forbairt everything worked out really well.

forbairt

good to hear and glad to have been of help