CSV file into an array

[Stephen Preston]

Hi

Can anyone explain in layman's terms the sequence of events required to
upload a csv.txt and put the contents into an array.

Lets assume I have a form to select the csv.txt file, which then uploads,
then what happens to it? where does it go? how do I get it out of the ether?
How, where do I access it. Looking at the PHP manual, I deduce that I need
to some how use the fopen and fgetcsv but unfortunately it reads like
gobbledygook to me at the moment.

I can do, see and understand that if it was a picture, it goes into a
directory on the server and resides there, but I don't want the csv.txt file
to be saved.

--
Regards

Stephen

[Erwin Moller]

Re: CSV file into an array

Stephen Preston wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hi
>
> Can anyone explain in layman's terms the sequence of events required to
> upload a csv.txt and put the contents into an array.[/color]

Hi,
[color=blue]
>
> Lets assume I have a form to select the csv.txt file, which then uploads,
> then what happens to it? where does it go? how do I get it out of the
> ether?[/color]

It goes a a temp directory under a temp name.
You can easily retrieve it and store it in a place you want it to be.
This is done by the code in the receiving script (= the script mentioned in
the action-tag of the form that contains the file-selector for the
fileupload.)

Read more here:

http://nl2.php.net/manual/en/features.file-upload.php

[color=blue]
> How, where do I access it. Looking at the PHP manual, I deduce that I
> need to some how use the fopen and fgetcsv but unfortunately it reads like
> gobbledygook to me at the moment.[/color]

First get the upload up and running, then start with the handling of the
file.
fgetcvs() is a nice helperfunction, but you can do it by hand too.
Really, just try it.
No use in us telling you what to do to the letter if you don't understand it
yourself.

If you want to test your result somehow (the array), a handy function is
print_r(). It prints the, possibly complex, structure of the array.
Use pre, like this:
<pre>
<? print_r($yourRe sultArray); ?>
</pre>
[color=blue]
>
> I can do, see and understand that if it was a picture, it goes into a
> directory on the server and resides there, but I don't want the csv.txt
> file to be saved.
>[/color]

Then delete it afterwards.
unlink()

Regards,
Erwin Moller

[Andy Jeffries]

Re: CSV file into an array

On Thu, 09 Mar 2006 10:07:07 +0100, Erwin Moller wrote:[color=blue]
> First get the upload up and running, then start with the handling of the
> file.
> fgetcvs() is a nice helperfunction, but you can do it by hand too. Really,
> just try it.[/color]

But if you try to handle it yourself don't fall in to the pitfall of just
exploding the string on "," as some CSV files may have commas within
columns, e.g.:

Name,Age
John Smith,21
"Doe, Jane", 21

Cheers,


Andy

--
Andy Jeffries MBCS CITP ZCE | gPHPEdit Lead Developer
http://www.gphpedit.org | PHP editor for Gnome 2
http://www.andyjeffries.co.uk | Personal site and photos

[Stephen Preston]

Re: CSV file into an array

Thanks

The light has now come on :-)



"Stephen Preston" <stephen_presto n@btconnect.com > wrote in message
news:duoq8o$c74 $1@nwrdmz02.dmz .ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...[color=blue]
> Hi
>
> Can anyone explain in layman's terms the sequence of events required to
> upload a csv.txt and put the contents into an array.
>
> Lets assume I have a form to select the csv.txt file, which then uploads,
> then what happens to it? where does it go? how do I get it out of the
> ether?
> How, where do I access it. Looking at the PHP manual, I deduce that I
> need to some how use the fopen and fgetcsv but unfortunately it reads like
> gobbledygook to me at the moment.
>
> I can do, see and understand that if it was a picture, it goes into a
> directory on the server and resides there, but I don't want the csv.txt
> file to be saved.
>
> --
> Regards
>
> Stephen
>
>
>[/color]