[memphis2k]

Hello, I'm a PHP newbie but have used a few languages in the past. Here is my question.

I need help finding a way to automatically update a PHP page after the database has been changed.

Setup:
I'm setting up a system with an admin & client based side with logged in users.
When I make a certain change to the DB, i.e. select a driver that won the race, JeffG. Then would click Apply would save it to the DB.

With a user logged in, it would say JeffG Wins! with a picture below. Then the client would be able to click "OK" button and return to the previous page.

Newest XAMPP running under WinXP SP2 - Admin updater
Clients would be running a small-sized screen Opera browser. I don't think I can use "popups' of any sort or an 2nd window/tab. Idea is VERY similar to a forums PM system!

I have attachted 4 images, they go in the order of what should happen. Quick example only.

Main concept: I want the PHP page to look for a change in the DB, if change exists, Update entire PHP page with it (Overlay) OR a whole new page. Think of it as an "alert" but can't be a dialog box.

Any tutorials would be much appreciated, n00b! Ideas, throw them out there!

[Jay6390]

Hi memphis2k. I'm guessing that this is for some sort of mobile/pda. I'm not too sure if its possible to do with them, but if javascript is enabled, this will be possible through AJAX to dynamically check the result at a set interval. You will need to make the scripts to check for a last updated time for the db entries. For tutorials on php in general have a look at my sig. If you are after a more direct approach to getting this however, I would suggest you use the script requests or job advertising forums to find what you need

Jay

[UnrealEd]

Usually you don't "update" a php page. What you need is a simple script that grabs the last added entry in your mysql table and show it through php on the page. This is not updating the php page, but simply executing the php page.

What you need are the good old mysql functions (if you're database is a mysql server of course), and some basic php programming

[memphis2k]

Thanks guys. I'll start working on these alerts tomorrow. Have a long list of ideas for the Alerts DB... basically functionality. Been learning like crazy and been having fun. Good points, yah I think the php will constantly check for a change in the DB and go from there. Endless loop w/ 10 sec interval? (Yah I'll search tomorrow)

Newbies learn by seeing examples & playing with them. Php seems at the moment harder to find "ideal" scripts but its getting better since there's a heck of a lot out there. Been to unwilling to learn a DB approach as appose to ASP/CSS/HTML until just recently. XAMPP did it for me!

I believe my mobile device can't do javascript, so I am trying my best to do everything server-side, MySQL.

[UnrealEd]

Originally Posted by memphis2k

Endless loop w/ 10 sec interval?

No: you don't need a loop. PHP is request-based: so when a user visits your page, it will process the php code, and display the outcome to the user. You don't need an endless loop to keep checking if there's any update in the database, you simply need to refresh the page.

If you want the page to refresh automatically, I tink you'll need javascript, but maybe you can do it with the header function