Read DBF files with PHP

[thors1982]

I am trying to write a PHP script to determine if a username/password is valid reading from the customer.dbf file.

I was originally trying to use PHPs dbase functions
http://php.net/manual/en/ref.dbase.php
but its not active on my server so I am just reading in the dbf files nad parsing it.

I am having problems with permissions reading the dbf files though. Is there a way I can read the dbf files from miva with PHP and not make them world readable. The usernames/passwords are stored there so they still need to be secure.

Has anyone else tried to do read the DBF files with PHP? and succeeded?

[ILoveHostasaurus]

Re: Read DBF files with PHP

In theory it will work, but only on dbf databases that do not make use of the proprietary memo fields that Miva Merchant uses. The customer database is not one of those so it should be able to be read; never try to write to it using php.

The other issue you're having, besides dbase support rarely being found in php these days, is that your mivadata directory is likely intentionally set with permissions to keep php scripts out because the last thing you want to have happen is a vulnerable php script be used to read all the credit card numbers out of the database file. Your host may be able to add dbase support and change the permissions but I'm not sure if I'd recommend having them do that. Can you go to MM5 where everything moves into mysql?

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Read DBF files with PHP

Can I ask why you want to do it? there might be a module out there that will do what you want.

And as David said, you should really think about upgrading to Miva Merchant 5.5 - it is SOOOOOOOO much better / faster / more stable / cheaper than Merchant 4.

[ids]

Re: Read DBF files with PHP

or maybe, use mivascript to read the dbf files since it's native in mivascript.

Scott

[thors1982]

Re: Read DBF files with PHP

We have some custom modules that will not work with Miva 5.5, so we are stuck on 4 for the time being. That was my first thought/suggestion as well. But not really possible.

I guess I might have to look into mivascript... but learning a whole new language for something this simple just didn't seem time worthy.

[thors1982]

Re: Read DBF files with PHP

My first suggestion was to upgrade to miva 5.5. And I really wish we could, however we have some specialized plugins that will not work with 5.5 so we are stuck for the time being.

I really do not think I am trying to do anything complicated I just need to be able to open the dbf file with PHP... Because it feels like nothing complicated it does seem like I would need to learn a whole new language(mivascript).

[lesliekirk]

Re: Read DBF files with PHP

When you say specialized plug-ins, were these developed in house or by a third party developer? If it was by a third party developer, have you contacted them about updating them?

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Read DBF files with PHP

Because I don't want to see you hit your head against a wall...

I am trying to write a PHP script to determine if a username/password is valid reading from the customer.dbf file.

Could you let us know WHY you want to do that? Maybe there is a module out there that already does something similar to what you want to accomplish.