PHP click counter

Question

I have a .php script that counts the clicks of a button and places them into a .txt file, all fine here but what I have now only works on a single count. If, let's say, I make two buttons, it will show the same number of clicks for both of them.

I need the script to work foreach button separately...

PHP:

if( isset($_POST['clicks']) ) { 
    incrementClickCount();
}

function getClickCount()
{
    return (int)file_get_contents("clickit.txt");
}

function incrementClickCount()
{
    $count = getClickCount() + 1;
    file_put_contents("clickit.txt", $count);
}

HTML:

<form action="<?php $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="post">
    <input type="submit" value="click me!" name="clicks">
</form>
<div>Click Count: <?php echo getClickCount(); ?></div>

Instead of writing the click count in a file, can't we just use one global variable? — prava
– prava, Commented Oct 30, 2014 at 9:39
a global variable would not work, since it only exists within the same request, so multiple requests will not update the number. — DaveG
– DaveG, Commented Oct 30, 2014 at 9:40

Damaged Organic · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-30 09:41:52Z

5

You should try different approach, I think. First, saving clicks in file is slower than in database, so you should use a database instead of file.

Then, you can create a table, with button_id field and corresponding click_number field. So if button with id="1" is clicked you increment click_number value for that button.

answered Oct 30, 2014 at 9:41

Damaged Organic

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4 Comments

DaveG Over a year ago

Indeed, using a database would be a better solution than using a txt-file. The questioner should consider using databases.

Alin Over a year ago

Well, I guess I have no other choice than to use a database for my functions, I wanted to store the clicks counter in a root .txt file cause in the near future i will need to create an offline app that will place those clicks into a chart.

Eagle1 Over a year ago

well if you actually want to improve you script you have to count the clics in JS and then store them. Using PHP for that is ridiculous, I thought this was some kind of class exercise.

Alin Over a year ago

@eagle1 Well, it's some sort of exercise since I'm new to php, I could do this in JS since I am used with front-end dev and then store it but I want to create the entire functions with php to get the hang of it and understand the differences. It's just my way of learning. Thanks for your contribution.

DaveG · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-30 09:58:44Z

1

You can give the second button another name, and save the data in another file ?

Another possibility is to save all the button information in the same file, by using e.g. explode and implode

[edit: example]

if( isset($_POST['clicks'])&& isset($_POST['buttonnumber'])) 
{
    incrementClickCount($_POST['buttonnumber']);
}

function getClickCount($num=0)
{
    $clickinfo = explode(":",file_get_contents("clickit.txt"));
    return (int)$clickinfo[$num];
}

function incrementClickCount($num=0)
{
    $clickinfo = explode(":",file_get_contents("clickit.txt"));
    $clickinfo[$num]++;
    file_put_contents("clickit.txt", implode(":",$clickinfo));
}

edited Oct 30, 2014 at 9:58

answered Oct 30, 2014 at 9:38

DaveG

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5 Comments

Alin Over a year ago

Since I will have more than two buttons that will be involved (52 estimated) and saving data in root .txt files is slower, I don't think giving the button another name and saving it in another file would be the best solution. 52 buttons = 52 .txt files => pain in the server's behind. And to be honest, I can't quite picture how using implode/explode would work.

DaveG Over a year ago

see my update for an example with implode/explode. Here the click data is stored into the text-file, separated with ":"

DaveG Over a year ago

when testing, keep in mind to first put the counters at zero by putting the content of the file to "0:0:0:0" (with as many counters as you want)

Alin Over a year ago

Well, I did as mentioned but for some reason the counter won't start. And i did place the content of the file with 0:0 (testing with only two for now).

DaveG Over a year ago

Keep in mind that the indexing starts at 0 and that I changed the post variables (clicks and buttonnumber), so you must make sure the function incrementClickCount is called. Here, it is working with incrementClickCount(1); !

Eagle1 · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-30 09:48:45Z

if the two buttons call the same function:

function incrementClickCount()
{
    $count = getClickCount() + 1;
    file_put_contents("clickit.txt", $count);
}

then of course you'll get only one counter.

You can either make a button into another form that calls another function or do something like:

<form action="<?php $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>" method="post">
    <input type="submit" value="click me!" name="clicks">
    <input type="submit" value="click me!" name="clicks2">
</form>
<div>Click Count: <?php echo getClickCount(); ?></div>

if( isset($_POST['clicks']) ) { 
    incrementClickCount("button1");
}
if( isset($_POST['clicks2']))
{
    incrementClickCount("button2");
}

function incrementClickCount($button)
{
if($button == "button1")
{
    $count = getClickCount() + 1;
    file_put_contents("clickit.txt", $count);
}
elseif($button = "button2")
{
 // other counter
}

}

Sarath kumar S · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-14 14:22:51Z

You have to use session. first set session variable initial value 1 if it's not already initialized. After initialized, from 2nd click it will count +1 to every click, because it will satisfy the else statement

<?php
session_start();
?>
<html>
    <head></head>
    <body>
        <form method="post" action="submit.php">
            <input type="submit" name="count" value="Start counting" />
        </form>
        <?php
        if(isset($_POST['count'])){
            if(!($_SESSION['count'])){
                $_SESSION['count'] = 1;
            }else{
                $count = $_SESSION['count'] + 1;
                $_SESSION['count'] = $count;
            }
        }
        echo $_SESSION['count'];
        ?>
    </body>
</html>

Your Common Sense · Accepted Answer · 2023-05-14 07:20:58Z

-1

Save the button file as a css file with contents like this:

"Button","Value"
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0

PHP read function would explode on carriage return, and then loop through the data with a for-each loop and explode on comma. PHP write function would just rebuild the table with the updated value. easy peasy. You could use a regular for-loop too, if you wanted to hard-code in the 52 iterations.

edited May 14, 2023 at 7:20

Your Common Sense

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answered May 14, 2023 at 7:10

Torre A. DeVito

1

1 Comment

Community Over a year ago

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