PHP Class: x_class_hitcounter
The x_class_hitcounter class is designed to track and manage hits on specific URLs within a section of a website. It counts both unique "arrivals" (first visits by a user) and "switches" (subsequent hits to the same URL during a session). The class relies on MySQL for data storage and can dynamically create its own table if it doesn't exist.
- Session Management: The class relies on PHP sessions to track arrivals and switches, ensuring unique hits within a session.
- URL Cleaning: The
prepareUrlmethod ensures URLs are stored consistently by removing protocol, subdomain, and GET parameters when configured to do so. - Switches vs. Arrivals: Switches refer to repeated hits on the same URL during a session, while arrivals count the first visit.
This class handles the counting and tracking of page hits and switches in a web application, storing the data in a MySQL database.
Use the class by including /_framework/classes/x_class_hitcounter.php.
Dependencies
- PHP 7.0-7.4
- PHP 8.0-8.4
PHP-Modules
mysqli: The PHP MySQLi extension must be installed and enabled.session: PHP sessions must be enabled and started before CSRF protection can function correctly.
PHP-Classes
x_class_mysql: Required for database operations.
Table
This section explains the table structure that will be automatically created by the hit counter class to log site visits. The table captures detailed information about each visit, including the URL, visit counts, and associated sections. Below is a summary of the columns and keys used in the table, along with their intended purpose.
The table will be automatically installed upon constructor execution.
| Column Name | Data Type | Attributes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
id |
int(10) |
NOT NULL, AUTO_INCREMENT, PRIMARY KEY |
A unique identifier for each visit log entry. |
full_url |
varchar(512) |
NOT NULL, DEFAULT '0' |
The full URL of the site being tracked, associated with the visit. |
switches |
int(10) |
DEFAULT '0' |
The number of changes or switches made to the site during the session. |
arrivals |
int(10) |
NOT NULL, DEFAULT '0' |
The number of arrivals at the site for the given URL. |
section |
varchar(128) |
NOT NULL, DEFAULT '' |
For Multi Site Purposes to split database data in categories. |
summarized |
int(10) |
NOT NULL, DEFAULT '0' |
The total number of hits for the specific URL, summarizing all visits. |
creation |
datetime |
DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP |
The timestamp when the visit record was created. Automatically set when a new entry is added. |
modification |
datetime |
DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP |
The timestamp of the last modification to the visit record. Automatically updated on changes. |
| Key Name | Key Type | Columns | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
PRIMARY KEY |
Primary | id |
Ensures each log entry is uniquely identifiable. |
x_class_hitcounter |
Unique | full_url, section |
Ensures that each unique URL and section combination is only logged once, avoiding duplicate entries. |
Methods
__construct
Initializes the hit counter instance. This method starts the session, stores key information, and ensures the MySQL table exists.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
$thecon |
Object | The MySQL connection object. |
$table |
String | Name of the table to store hit counter data. |
$precookie |
String | Prefix for session cookies to avoid collisions. |
$section |
String | Section name to differentiate URLs by context. |
enabled
Enables or disables the hit counter. If disabled, no hits or switches are counted.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
$bool |
Boolean | Whether to enable the counter. |
clearget
Configures the behavior to remove GET parameters from the URL before processing. If enabled, the URL is cleaned for consistent storage and comparison.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
$bool |
Boolean | Whether to clean GET parameters from the URL before processing. |
get_array
Returns all records in the hit counter table as an array.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| None | N/A | Returns an array of data. |
refresh_counters
Refreshes the internal counters ($switches, $arrivals, $summarized) for the current URL and section. It queries the database for existing records and updates the class properties.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| None | N/A | Updates internal counters. |
prepareUrl
Cleans and standardizes a URL for consistent storage in the database.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
$tmpcode |
String | The raw URL to be cleaned and standardized. |
execute
Performs the main hit counting and updating operations. This method manages session-based hit counting and ensures accurate tracking of unique arrivals and switches.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| None | N/A | Tracks the hit or switch for the current session. |
Example
// Initialize the MySQL connection and table
$mysql = new MySQLWrapper();
$hitcounter = new x_class_hitcounter($mysql, 'hitcounter_table');
// Enable the counter and clean GET parameters from URLs
$hitcounter->enabled(true);
$hitcounter->clearget(true);
// Execute the hit counting process
$hitcounter->execute();
// Retrieve the summarized data
$switches = $hitcounter->switches;
$arrivals = $hitcounter->arrivals;
$totalHits = $hitcounter->summarized;