PHP Delete Function

**Titan85** · 10-15-2006, 03:52 AM

Hello, I am making a script that ads links to a .txt file when the form is submitted. I have the ad link part working fine, but I need to know how to go about making a delete function to remove the link from the .txt file. I am not 100% sure this can be done with a .txt file, but let me know either way. Thanks

**djr33** · 10-15-2006, 08:34 AM

Clearing the text file is really easy.
$textfile = "";
Assuming you have used fopen() to set $textfile to the file, and such.
[Also, depending on the method used to open the file (w+/a/etc., I can't remember what's what at the moment), you might be just adding "" to it, not setting it to that, but it's possible.]

If you wish to remove a specific line from the text file, then you would do basically the same, but do this instead:
Assume $textfile is the contents of the .txt, again.
str_replace($link,"",$textfile);

Here's how it works: str_replace(FIND, REPLACE, IN_THIS);

You may also want to use something like
str_replace($link."\n","",$textfile);

That would replace the link, then the line break after it.

Hope this helps.

**Titan85** · 10-15-2006, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by djr33

Clearing the text file is really easy.
$textfile = "";
Assuming you have used fopen() to set $textfile to the file, and such.
[Also, depending on the method used to open the file (w+/a/etc., I can't remember what's what at the moment), you might be just adding "" to it, not setting it to that, but it's possible.]

If you wish to remove a specific line from the text file, then you would do basically the same, but do this instead:
Assume $textfile is the contents of the .txt, again.
str_replace($link,"",$textfile);

Here's how it works: str_replace(FIND, REPLACE, IN_THIS);

You may also want to use something like
str_replace($link."\n","",$textfile);

That would replace the link, then the line break after it.

Hope this helps.

Ok, I get what you are saying about replacing the link with a blank, but how would I make it so that when a link is added, it also ads a delete option to it. I am thinking that I could use a link ID that autoincrements and then use the ID to reference the link. If that will work, the only thing that i don't know how to do is to make the delete function get the corresponding ID.

**blm126** · 10-15-2006, 03:22 PM

We need to see the code if you want anything but general answers. However, I think the ID plan is a bad idea. Store the text of line to delete in your form, and use that to find the line.

**Titan85** · 10-15-2006, 04:21 PM

Ok, here is the code for you
Processing

PHP Code:


<?php

$filename = "featured_links.txt"; // file to write to



$date = date("F j, Y"); //date format



$error = "An error occured while adding new link!";



$success = "Link successfully added, please choose the page you would like to go to below. You will be automatically redirected to the ad links page in 10 seconds. 

            <br /> 

            <a href=\"http://ad_link.php\">Ad Links Page</a>

            <br />

            <a href=\"jexhost.com\">Site Home</a>";







    // Add Text

$text = stripslashes($_POST['text']);

    if (!$text) {

    $text = "<b>Untitled</b>";

    }

    

    // Add Link

$link = stripslashes($_POST['link']);

    if (!link) {

    $link = "";

    }

    

    

    // Add Content

if ($content = stripslashes($_POST['content'])) {

    

$add = '

<!-- Text Ad, '.$date.' -->

<a href="http://'.$link.'">'.$title.'</a>

    <br />

    

';

    



$links = @file_get_contents($filename).$add;

    



    $file = @fopen($filename, "w");

    @fwrite($file, $news);

    @fclose($file);

    $message = $success;

    }

else {

    $message = $error;

    }

echo "

<html>

<head>

<title>Jexlinks.com | Link Added</title>

<meta http-equiv=\"refresh\" content=\"10;url=ad_link.php\">

".$message."

</head>

<body>

</body>

</html>";





?>

Add Form

PHP Code:


<form action="ad_link_process.php" method="post">

                        Link Text:

                        <br />

                            <input name="text" type="text" />

                        <br />

                        Link URL:

                        <br />

                            <input name="link" type="text" />

                        <br />

                            <input type="submit" value="Submit" />

                      </form>

**djr33** · 10-16-2006, 05:17 AM

search/replace works well to remove a link, since you are removing the same thing you're searching for. ID is only important if you don't have the data you're searching for.

**Titan85** · 10-16-2006, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by djr33

search/replace works well to remove a link, since you are removing the same thing you're searching for. ID is only important if you don't have the data you're searching for.

The thing is that I don't know the data I am searching for. Each link that is added can ad any data, and I need a delete function that will be able to be added to each new link that is added.

**djr33** · 10-16-2006, 04:19 PM

Yeah. You do know what you're searching for.
When you delete a link, you obviously know the link at that point. Use it to delete it.
Store it as $link, then search/replace $link.
You don't need to hard code the urls into the script.

**Titan85** · 10-16-2006, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by djr33

Yeah. You do know what you're searching for.
When you delete a link, you obviously know the link at that point. Use it to delete it.
Store it as $link, then search/replace $link.
You don't need to hard code the urls into the script.

What do you mean by not hard storing the link? When the link is written, it looks like this:

HTML Code:

<!-- Text Ad, Added October 15, 2006 -->
	<a href="#" target="_blank">- Testing Link</a>
<br />

And that is the code that is entered, so being that there is no $link, i don't know how i could reference the correct link. There will be hundreds of links, so I need a unique ID to be added to each link so that i can click on the "delete" button and execute the delete function for that link.

**djr33** · 10-16-2006, 10:29 PM

How does a user navigate to the link? It's the href of the link, yes?
Using that href, can store it as $link, through php code, not just waiting for it to show up.... I didn't mean it would automatically be there.

Somehow, you have the url available. Use that url to add the delete link....
http://..../delete.php?url=urlhere
And that should delete it.

There is absolutely no need for an ID as it just ads one step and you'd STILL need the url in the end. Instead of messing with IDs, just use the url itself, which you MUST!!! have available to link the person.

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