Re: read the last line in a file?

Tom Worster wrote: >> 1) the inotify interface will alert you when a file or directory >> changes. > > do you mean the pecl inotify extension? Not specifically, but if that's how inotify is available in PHP, then yes. > that would eliminate the polling and the associated lag. but the php > manual says it requires linux. if that's the case then it's not going > to work for me. the app i'm working with runs on os x. inotify comes with linux, yes. >> 2) run tail -f logfile | <yourscript> and read from stdin. (not >> tested). > > i thought of this but i couldn't see much difference between reading > from stdin and opening the log file itself and reading from that > (reading and tesing for eof periodically in both cases i suppose). but > i may be missing something in your suggestion. With the above, your code can just keep reading from stdi, no need to check for eof etc. >> 3) if you can change the logfile to a fifo, you're all set. > > i don't have any control over the app that writes the log file. if > there were a utility like tail -f that opens a fifo for output rather > than outputting to sdtout... Once piped to your script, reading from stdout will be just like reading from a fifo. /Per -- Per Jessen, Zürich (16.2°C)