Apache Friends Support Forum

I am testing on my localhost. The tests for http://localhost and http://localhost/index.html work fine, as well as a phpinfo() html module.
I am running Windows VISTA (64).

But, when I try to use the fopen, I get the "Warning: fopen (C:/xampp/htdocs/../Files/order.txt) [function_fopen]: failed to open stream. No such file or directory in C:\xampp\htdocs\Source\ProcessOrder.php on line 12."

Any thoughts on what I have missing?
Thank you.

Simply read the error message carefully:

>C:/xampp/htdocs/..Files/order.txt


Do you think, this is a valid pathname?

Thank you for the observation on the file name, I had to type it into the forum because for some reason I can't do a copy and paste.

The file name from the "Warning: fopen" message is C:/xampp/htdocs/../Files/orders.txt.

Other thoughts?
Thank you.

PaulSharpe wrote:The file name from the "Warning: fopen" message is C:/xampp/htdocs/../Files/orders.txt.

Other thoughts?

Does the file C:\xampp\Files\orders.txt exist?

glitzi

???Does the file C:\xampp\Files\orders.txt exist?

Yes, to test it, I copied and pasted the file name from the error msg into the url - http://localhost/Files/order.txt and it opened up the text file. So I think I can say that the file exists and is accessible through the localhost.

Thank you for asking - other thoughts?

In your PHP Code you are requesting C:\xampp\htdocs\..\Files\orders.txt. That is equal to C:\xampp\Files\orders.txt. If you request http://localhost/Files/orders.txt, then you would request the File C:\xampp\htdocs\Files\orders.txt

Compare:

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Web: C:\xampp\htdocs\Files\orders.txt  (=http://localhost/Files/orders.txt)
PHP: C:\xampp\Files\orders.txt         (=C:\xampp\htdocs\..\Files\orders.txt)

Repair your PHP Script.

Here some stuff you should read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_path
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/co ... cumentroot

glitzi

glitz1: Thanks for trying. I reviewed the info on file paths but didn't learn anything new. But I think I have the problem identified. Now I need to find out how to solve it.
This is for Windows VISTA.

If I don't put "orders.txt" in a sub-root folder, php works fine. As soon as I put my "orders.txt" in a "files" folder, php can't find it.

Test cases:
1. I put the "orders.txt" file in the root directory and php works fine:
system: C:\xampp\htdocs\orders.txt
php:

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  $DOCUMENT_ROOT = $_SERVER ['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] ;
  $fp = fopen ("$DOCUMENT_ROOT/../orderts.txt", 'w') ;
  echo "DOCUMENT_ROOT string: " . $DOCUMENT_ROOT ;
  echo "File open string: " . $fp

http://localhost/ProcessOrder.php resuts:
DOCUMENT_ROOT string: C:/xampp/htdocs
File open string: Resource id #3

2. I put the "orders.txt" file in a "files" folder in the root directory and php can't find it:
system: C:\xampp\htdocs\files\orders.txt

php:

Code: Select all

  $DOCUMENT_ROOT = $_SERVER ['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] ;
  $fp = fopen ("$DOCUMENT_ROOT/../files/orderts.txt", 'w') ;
  echo "DOCUMENT_ROOT string: " . $DOCUMENT_ROOT ;
  echo "File open string: " . $fp ;

http://localhost/ProcessOrder.php resuts:
DOCUMENT_ROOT string: C:/xampp/htdocs
File open string:
Warning: fopen(C:/xampp/htdocs/../files/orders.txt) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in C:\xampp\htdocs\ProcessOrder.php on line 14

Am I required to put all of my files in the root directory?

Thank you.

OK, you don't understand it. Maybe you learn it in this way:

Start -> run -> cmd.exe

Now you have the command line open type this command:

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c:
cd \

Now the Command will look like this:

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C:\>

Now you follow your Path from the code, type:

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cd C:\xampp\htdocs\..\

Now you will not be in the folder htdocs, you will be in the folder xampp. And THERE(!) the orders.txt will be created!

In your second code you try to create the file in the subdirectory files, try it in the Console:

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cd C:\xampp\htdocs\..\files\

You will get an error, saying the system can not find the path. Thats correct, because you want to open C:\xampp\files, and this folder is not existing. PHP can only create files with the fopen command, directorys are not created. That's the reason why the second code is not working!

Your problem all the way through this post are just the two dots:

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$fp = fopen ("$DOCUMENT_ROOT/../files/orderts.txt", 'w') ;

Replace it with this code:

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$fp = fopen ("$DOCUMENT_ROOT/files/orderts.txt", 'w') ;

and everything should be fine. But it is very important that you understand why it is working now, otherwise you will have problems all the time.

glitzi

You have been very patient!! Thank you.

I am such a dumkoff.

I have used the "../" to go up the hierarchy before, but I have never seen it used in the middle of a directory tree. I thought it had some magic stuff to do with the Apache.

I understand it now, and my "files" folder works fine.

Thanks a bunch.
Have a good day.