PHP query!

mikem1986

Hi guys

Is it possible to add a "comment" section to your website without using a database?

If so how would i go about doing this? Ive looked all over the net and cant find anything anywhere.

Cheers

trcooke

Not entirely sure what you mean by a "comment" section but if it's simply recording user comments from a form and then displaying them on the web page then why don't you build yourself a basic database using files instead of a 'real' database such as MySQL.

mikem1986

what do you mean by a basic database usign files? I didnt get any databases with my hosting package (stupid of me i know)

Yes i want people to be able to post a comment from a form which appears on the web page...

thanks for help in advance

trcooke

For example: When the user submits the form with their comments on it, use some PHP code to write those comments to a file on your webserver. Then for your page that displays the comment use some more PHP to read the comments from the said file and display it on your web page.

mikem1986

that sounds complicated eeeek!

im not that technical with php tbh

all ive done with php so far is just submitting form to an email

trcooke

It's not that bad. For what you're doing there its a lot simpler than using a database. Have a look here for help on file handling with PHP: http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_file.asp.

Some general advice though. It may be beneficial for you to stay with your current implementation of receiving your user's input via e-mail. It'll give you the opportunity of vetting the comments and making sure that you don't get any inappropriate content appearing on your website, whether it be from spam bots or from malicious people.

If it won't be too much of a hassle for you to add the decent / clean comments you receive to your website yourself then this could be the best way to go.

mikem1986

i was just thinking that myself actually trcooke

ive also raised a support issue with my hosting company asking if i can use the databases i have from my other website on the new website...

we'll see what they say :-)

thanks again

Paul_Herring

While I hate these types of 'tutorials': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Gf8CuU4Ak

Or maybe try http://diamond-back.com/software/guestbook/

samhale

You'd have to set it not from locahost, but from somewhere else.