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Having issues trying to perform a foreach within a while loop in PHP. I'm extracting build names from a database table. Those build names happen to be folder names. Within those folders is a folder (either Client or Clients) and within those are folders named after the clients business name. I want the script to show me the build name (accomplished already with an echo) and then list each folder below the build name.

$build_grab = mysql_query("SELECT b_id,b_name FROM builds", $link);
while($build_row = mysql_fetch_array($build_grab))
{
  $b_id = $build_row['b_id'];
  $b_name = $build_row['b_name'];

  $client_dir = is_dir("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Client/");
  $clients_dir = is_dir("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Clients/");

  if ($client_dir == '1') {
    $client_folders = explode(",", exec("ls -1 /somepath/builds/$b_name/Client/"));
  } elseif ($clients_dir == '1') {
    $client_folders = str_replace("\n","", explode(",", exec("ls -1 /somepath/builds/$b_name/Clients/")));
  };

  echo $b_name;
  echo "\r\n";

  foreach($client_folders as $folder)
  {
    echo $folder;
    echo "\r\n";
  }
}

Unfortunately this seems to only give me one (1) client folder name per build and it's always the last client (a-z) in the folder.

Example Output:

build-4.0.0.0
Client-f
build-4.0.0.1
Client-d
build-4.0.0.2
Client-j

What am I missing here or better yet, is there a more efficient way of doing this? Any help is greatly appreciated!

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5
  • 1
    Don't use the mysql_* library. Use either mysqli_* or PDO. Commented Oct 18, 2013 at 17:51
  • I did not check your code but you probably initialize the variable in the for loop ( or the while loop ) so all the other is overriden every time you enter the for or the while loop. Commented Oct 18, 2013 at 17:51
  • foreach($folder as $subfolder) { // ... stuff ... } Commented Oct 18, 2013 at 17:52
  • 1
    Please, if you decide to ask your question on StackOverflow, take a few minutes to format your code properly. It is soo much easier to read code if it has proper indentation. Commented Oct 18, 2013 at 17:52
  • Chris - Thanks for your msyqli suggestion, I'll take that into consideration however at this time extracting data from the DB isn't an issue. Koray - If you would please elaborate and point out any errors I would really appreciate the help. Amal - I'm already using that syntax, thanks. Sumurai8 - Sorry for the format issues. Commented Oct 18, 2013 at 19:06

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
1

You're replacing the $client_folders variable each time. You want to create it as an array before you enter the while loop, then do this

if ($client_dir == '1') {
  $client_folders[] = explode(",", exec("ls -1 /somepath/builds/$b_name/Client/"));
} elseif ($clients_dir == '1') {
  $client_folders[] = str_replace("\n","", explode(",", exec("ls -1 /somepath/builds/$b_name/Clients/")));
};

By the way, this will only enter the first IF, since the second is exactly the same

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2 Comments

It is intended to be repeated in the while loop because there is a possibility of either a Client or Clients (with s) within each build folder. Apparently standardization of folder structures wasn't strong in this environment. The purpose of the if is to muddle through that.
Ah, I missed the s on the if. Gotcha
0

Rather than using 

$client_folders = str_replace("\n","", explode(",", exec("ls -1 /somepath/builds/$b_name/Clients/")));

I would recommend using the following code to list the folders.

if ($folderHandle = opendir(clients_dir)) {
    while ($file = readdir($folderHandle) {
        echo "$file\n";
    }
    closedir($folderHandle);
}

You can change that code to be conditional, but it should give you a good list.

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1 Comment

Or $client_folders = glob("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Client/*", GLOB_ONLYDIR)
0

exec() only returns the last line of output from the command. You should use the native PHP functions to read the directory list - either opendir/readdir or glob will work.

if ($client_dir == '1') {
  $client_folders = glob("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Client/*", GLOB_ONLYDIR);
} elseif ($clients_dir == '1') {
  $client_folders = glob("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Clients/*", GLOB_ONLYDIR);
};
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1 Comment

If you must use exec() You could do this: unset $client_folders; exec("ls -1 ...", $client_folders); to capture each line of output in an array.
0

Thanks much to mcrumley, your suggestion of using 'glob' fixed it! Sorry crumley, I am apparently to newb to vote up your response. Perhaps other users can help with that.
Thanks also Chris for suggesting mysqli, I will code with it from here out, late adopter here.

Below the new code that resolved the issue.

$build_grab = $mysqli->query("SELECT b_id,b_name FROM builds");
  while($build_row = $build_grab->fetch_array())
{
  $b_id = $build_row['b_id'];
  $b_name = $build_row['b_name'];

  $client_dir = is_dir("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Client/");
  $clients_dir = is_dir("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Clients/");

  if ($client_dir == '1') {
    $client_folders = glob("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Client/*", GLOB_ONLYDIR);
  } elseif ($clients_dir == '1') {
    $client_folders = glob("/somepath/builds/$b_name/Clients/*", GLOB_ONLYDIR);
  };

  echo $b_name;
  echo "\r\n";

  foreach($client_folders as $folder)
  {
    echo $folder;
    echo "\r\n";
  }
}

Thanks again for everyones help!

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