flatfile DB class(suggestion)

[softwarefreak]

Hi guys,especially arnage,something else,just_m3,master_v4, I was making this flatfile script not complete yet,
Can you please find a scope of improvement here in this code so dat It in real life works

<?php
class flatfile
{
    /*
     * Database file name
     */
    private $database = "DB.php"; //I'm using a php file to hide the data in comments,which is not possible if we use a dat or text file
    
     /*start comment text
     */
    private $start_comment = "<?php\n/*\n";
    /*
     * end comment text
     */
    private $end_comment = "\n*/\n?>";
    /*
     * 
     */
    public function write_data($text)
    {
        $data = $this->load_data();    
        $write_data = $this->start_comment.$data.$text."\n".$this->end_comment;
    $fh = fopen($this->database, 'w');
if(flock($fh, LOCK_EX))
{
fwrite($fh, $write_data);
flock($fh, LOCK_UN);
}
fclose($fh);
return "";
    }

/*
 * 
 */
private function load_data()
{
    $file = file_get_contents($this->database);
    $file = str_replace($this->start_comment, "", $file);
    $file = str_replace($this->end_comment, "", $file);
    return $file;
}
/*
 * 
 */
public function count_data()
{
    
    $file = file($this->database);
    $count = count($file);
    return ($count-6);
}
public function return_data($start, $stop)
{
    $file = file($this->database);
    $count = count($file);
    $j = ($start+2);
if($stop == FALSE || $stop > ($count-3))
    {
        $limit = ($count-3);
    }
    else 
    {
    $limit = $stop+3;
    }
    for ($i=$j; $i < $limit; $i++) 
    { 
        $data[] = $file[$i];
    }
    return $data;
}
public function edit_data($line_no, $replace)
{
    $data = $this->load_data();
    $chunk = explode("\n", $data);
    $chunk[$line_no] = str_replace($chunk[$line_no], $replace, $chunk[$line_no]);
    $text = implode("\n", $chunk);
    $put_data = $this->start_comment.$text.$this->end_comment;
    $fh = fopen($this->database, 'w');
if(flock($fh, LOCK_EX))
{
fwrite($fh, $put_data);
flock($fh, LOCK_UN);
}
fclose($fh);
    
}
    /*
     * End of class
     */
}
/*
 * 
 * Create an instance of the class
 */
$db = new flatfile;
//to write data in the file,we can simple use the write_data method
$text = "This is a comment";
$db->write_data($text);
//to fetch the content in the file
$data = $db->return_data(0, FALSE); // false will work like,select * from
/*we can also limit it like
 * 
 * 
 * $data = $db->return_data(0, 3);
 * print_r($data);
 */
print_r($data);
/*Now we can edit a line with this method
 * 
 * 
 */
$edit = "This is an edited comment";
$db->edit_data(0, $edit); // the first param is the line number, 0 here
print_r($data);
/*
 * 
 * free up the memory taken by the object
 */
unset($db);
?>

You'll have to run this script to check how it works,
BTW, i tried to work w/ fseek() to edit in btw lines,but it gets complicated as to me, & this script can't withstand high load, I've seen this by holding the refresh button in my broswer,but I can be overcomed by using sleep(); so dat atleast the script waits 1-2 secs b4 writing in to the file, & flock will prevent from damaging the file,that's all from my side

[just_m3.]

//I'm using a php file to hide the data in comments,which is not possible if we use a dat or text file

here a tip .. try and set mime type application/x-httpd-php in .htaccess or server cPanel/mimetype for .dat extension or other . . . and then try to use it might work

[shushant]

Replace file_get_contents with readfile as readfile is faster then fgs