How Can I Use PHP to Save Form Data to a Text File?

PHP: Writing Form Input to a Text File

Problem:

You have a form and want to capture the input entered in its fields and write it to a text file. However, your current solution fails to produce the desired result.

Solution:

To write form input to a text file, you can follow these steps:

1. Update HTML Form:

   Ensure your form uses the "POST" method and includes the necessary input elements.

   <form action="myprocessingscript.php" method="POST">
       <input name="field1" type="text" />
       <input name="field2" type="text" />
       <input type="submit" name="submit" value="Save Data">
   </form>

2. PHP Script:

   <?php
   // Check if data is submitted
   if (isset($_POST['field1']) && isset($_POST['field2'])) {
       $data = $_POST['field1'] . '-' . $_POST['field2'] . "\r\n";
   
       // Use file_put_contents to write data to a text file
       $ret = file_put_contents('/tmp/mydata.txt', $data, FILE_APPEND | LOCK_EX);
   
       if ($ret === false) {
           die("Error writing file");
       } else {
           echo "$ret bytes written to file /tmp/mydata.txt";
       }
   } else {
       die("No POST data to process");
   }
   ?>

• file_put_contents: This function opens a file, writes the specified data to it, and closes it. Using it simplifies file handling by eliminating the need for manual file opening, writing, and closing.
• FILE_APPEND | LOCK_EX: These flags ensure that data is appended to the file and that the file is locked exclusively during the writing process to prevent simultaneous access and data corruption.
• Error Handling: The script checks if the data was successfully written to the file and returns an appropriate message if there is an error.

The above is the detailed content of How Can I Use PHP to Save Form Data to a Text File?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!