database and php question

[tuckeratlarge]

Could anyone of you loverly people direct me to a tutorial (written so a thicko like me can understand it) about ODBC databases being accessed from a PHP script.

I'll explain. I have a PHP script that outputs a form to a .txt or .csv file. Now then, my webhosting is on a Windows 2003 server and therfore doesnt allow file permissions to be set (i.e CHMOD) so I can't simply have a file that the script updates by itself. However I have enabled the database engine on the hosting to allow a .txt or .csv file in a specific location (......\_private\myfolder\myfile.txt).

OK with me so far? I'n new at this so bare with me.

I need to know what i do to get the PHP script to output to that particular place. I think its more like a database than a file, but I don't really understand.

Any help welcomed.

P.S. the help, FAQ's and forum on my hosting are crap. and don't mention anything.

[Cailin]

Even though Windows doesn't support CHMOD, you can do (almost) the same thing through user permissions. Which, of course, would require access to the system. I used to run a site built on ASP that needed to access an Access database - and this file was placed directly into the web path. Though using permissions, the host was able to allow IIS to access the file but not the web user. I can't remember any more than that, but maybe that'll help you.

[Colloquick]

Make sure the right user has access to the file. IE_USR or something like that. Alternatively, enable all users to access the file.

[tuckeratlarge]

thanks for the reply's but not exactly what I wa looking for. I really want a tutorial on how to use the database aspect of the website. As I said I have enable the ODBC database engine on my hosting to allow .txt or .csv files in a specific folder.

Any help appreciated. I know absolutely nothing about databases.

[Shadrack]

ODBC is for connecting to a database. I believe there are ODBC drivers for dealing with .csv or some delimited .txt file and that is what you are talking about when you say ODBC being enabled on your hosting (though I'm still kinda unclear). That being said, ODBC wasn't made for dealing with delimited text files, it was made for dealing with relational databases.

Here is a tutorial on how to use ODBC to work on a Microsoft Access file through php:

Microsoft Access Database ODBC and PHP on phpfreaks.com

Interfacing with the text file is probably very similar, but I'm not sure how you send a text file a SQL string. Look up the specifics for whatever ODBC driver you are using.

-nic

[tuckeratlarge]

thanks nic, will give it a try. See if I can't my addled brain round it.

if not I'll carry on using the email style PHP script