[peter_rodrick]

A hit counter will let us know how many times a page is accessed. In case one visitors loads the page several times, the hit counter will increase several times (but this is likely to happen only a few times).

The code for the hit counter bellow will save the number of hits in a file named counter.txt (the name of this file may be changed). Each time the page is loaded, the file will be read, the number will be increased by one and the new number will be saved to the same file.

<?php

//The file where number of hits will be saved; name may be changed; p.e. "/counter_files/counter1.txt"
$counterfile = "counter.txt";

// Opening the file; number of hit is stored in variable $hits
$fp = fopen($counterfile,"r");
$hits = fgets($fp,100);
fclose($fp);

//increading number of hits
$hits++;

//saving number of hits
$fp = fopen($counterfile,"w");
fputs($fp, $hits);
fclose($fp);

//printing hits; you may remove next line (and keep the counter only for your records)
print $hits;

?>
To use this code, copy it to your page in the exact position where you want to show number of hits. Feel free to reply to this thread and add to this list, it will be helpful for everyone!

web application development

Outsourcing software development

[misterchucker]

PHP Code:

<?php
/*
 * Use single quotes ('') for strings that do not have
 * escaped characters or embedded variables.
 */

// Path to the counter file
$path = 'hits_count.txt';

// Initializes $hits for echo in case fopen() fails
$hits = '';

/*
 * Opens the file only once to change the counter.
 * 
 * If you open and close the file twice, in the unlikely
 * scenario where a second visitor reads the file while a
 * first visitor is incrementing the counter, the number
 * that the second visitor writes to the file will be the
 * same as the number the first visitor just wrote.
 * 
 * 'a+' opens the file for reading and writing and
 * attempts to create it if it does not exist. The pointer
 * is placed at the end of the file.
 */
if ($fh = fopen($path, 'a+'))
{
    /* 
     * Obtains exclusive write access; Does not prevent
     * reading or writing if a lock cannot be acquired
     */
    flock($fh, LOCK_EX);
    
    // Returns the pointer to the beginning of the file
    fseek($fh, 0);
    
    // Stores the first line in $hits
    if ($hits = fgets($fh))
    {
        // Cleans up white space and increments counter
        $hits = trim($hits) + 1;
    }
    else
    {
        // Starts a new counter
        $hits = '1';
    }
    
    /*
     * To test this script, create two copies: a.php and b.php.
     * In only a.php, uncomment sleep().
     * Run a.php.
     * Run b.php before a.php finishes.
     * Notice how b.php has to wait for a.php to close the file.
     */
    //sleep(10);
    
    // Removes old count
    ftruncate($fh, 0);
    
    // Inserts new count
    fwrite($fh, $hits);
    
    // Closes the file handle and releases the lock
    fclose($fh);
}

// Echo is minimally more efficient than print.
// Optional statement
echo $hits;

?>

[misterchucker]

The script I posted before this is more reliable, but here is a short solution.

PHP Code:

<?php
// An attempt at a short solution

// Path to the counter file
$path = 'another_counter.txt';

// If the file exists, gets the counter and increments it
// If the file does not exist, sets the counter to 1
$hits = file_exists($path)
      ? (trim(file_get_contents($path)) + 1)
      : 1;

// Updates the counter
file_put_contents($path, $hits);

// Shows the counter
echo $hits;

?>