PHP/MYSQL to TXT file sent to user

This is going to sound silly, but how do I create the txt file itself? I'm really new to PHP/MYSQL and I'm not sure how to create the txt file with the info in it. where would I define the $String_4_csv? Thanks.

the file put contents creates the txt file and puts into it the value in the $string4csv variable
the syntax is:
file_put_contents("NAME OF THE FILENAME","DATA YOU PUT IN IT")

e.g.
$data = "MY DATA IS HERE";
file_put_contents("testfile.txt",$data);

this code creates the testfile.txt and if you open it you see MY DATA IS HERE

This is what I have in the file_create.php
==================================================================
<?php require_once('Connections/N911.php'); ?>
<?php
if (!function_exists("GetSQLValueString")) {
function GetSQLValueString($theValue, $theType, $theDefinedValue = "", $theNotDefinedValue = "")
{
  $theValue = get_magic_quotes_gpc() ? stripslashes($theValue) : $theValue;

  $theValue = function_exists("mysql_real_escape_string") ? mysql_real_escape_string($theValue) : mysql_escape_string($theValue);

  switch ($theType) {
    case "text":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;    
    case "long":
    case "int":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? intval($theValue) : "NULL";
      break;
    case "double":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . doubleval($theValue) . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "date":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "defined":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? $theDefinedValue : $theNotDefinedValue;
      break;
  }
  return $theValue;
}
}
mysql_select_db($database_N911, $N911);
$query_Recordset1 = "SELECT Guardians_First_Name, Guardians_Last_Name, `Home_Street Address`, Home_Address_2, Home_City, Home_State, `Home_Zip Code` FROM students";
$Recordset1 = mysql_query($query_Recordset1, $N911) or die(mysql_error());
$row_Recordset1 = mysql_fetch_assoc($Recordset1);
$totalRows_Recordset1 = mysql_num_rows($Recordset1);

$data = "First,Last,Address1,Address2,City,State,Zip";
file_put_contents("student.txt",$data);
?>
<?php

file_put_contents("./exports/".student.".txt",$row_Recordset1);
$file = student.'.txt';
print("<meta HTTP-EQUIV=\"REFRESH\" content=\"0; url=downloader.php?file=./exports/$file\">");


?>
=============================================================================

The error I get is:
Notice: Use of undefined constant student - assumed 'student' in C:\Program Files\AVS Reverse 911\file_mail_student.php on line 43

Notice: Use of undefined constant student - assumed 'student' in C:\Program Files\AVS Reverse 911\file_mail_student.php on line 44

Lines 43 and 44 are:
file_put_contents("./exports/".student.".txt",$row_Recordset1);
$file = student.'.txt';

and what gets put in the txt file is just "Testyou"

any ideas?

change this line:
file_put_contents("./exports/".student.".txt",$row_Recordset1);
ti this line:
file_put_contents("student.txt",$row_Recordset1);
it will create the student.txt file

I get the same results... I made a chage that got rid of the error but the only thing in the txt file is "Testyou" which I have not entered anywhere.

=================================================================================
mysql_select_db($database_N911, $N911);
$query_Recordset1 = "SELECT Guardians_First_Name, Guardians_Last_Name, `Home_Street Address`, Home_Address_2, Home_City, Home_State, `Home_Zip Code` FROM students";
$Recordset1 = mysql_query($query_Recordset1, $N911) or die(mysql_error());
$row_Recordset1 = mysql_fetch_assoc($Recordset1);
$totalRows_Recordset1 = mysql_num_rows($Recordset1);

$data = "First,Last,Address1,Address2,City,State,Zip";
file_put_contents("student.txt",$data);
?>
<?php

file_put_contents("student.txt",$row_Recordset1);
$file = "student.txt";
print("<meta HTTP-EQUIV=\"REFRESH\" content=\"0; url=downloader.php?file=./exports/$file\">");

==================================================================================

this is the exact code I have in the file_create.php
=================================================================================

<?php require_once('../Connections/N911.php'); ?>
<?php
if (!function_exists("GetSQLValueString")) {
function GetSQLValueString($theValue, $theType, $theDefinedValue = "", $theNotDefinedValue = "")
{
  $theValue = get_magic_quotes_gpc() ? stripslashes($theValue) : $theValue;

  $theValue = function_exists("mysql_real_escape_string") ? mysql_real_escape_string($theValue) : mysql_escape_string($theValue);

  switch ($theType) {
    case "text":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;    
    case "long":
    case "int":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? intval($theValue) : "NULL";
      break;
    case "double":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . doubleval($theValue) . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "date":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "defined":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? $theDefinedValue : $theNotDefinedValue;
      break;
  }
  return $theValue;
}
}

mysql_select_db($database_N911, $N911);
$query_Recordset1 = "SELECT Guardians_First_Name, Guardians_Last_Name, Home_Street_Address, Home_Address_2, Home_City, Home_State, Home_Zip_Code FROM students";
$Recordset1 = mysql_query($query_Recordset1, $N911) or die(mysql_error());
$data = "First,Last,Address1,Address2,City,State,Zip";
file_put_contents("student.txt",$data);
while ($row_Recordset1 = mysql_fetch_assoc($Recordset1)){
$string2add = '
';
foreach($row as $key=>$value){$string2add = $string2add.','.$value;}
file_put_contents("student.txt",file_get_contents("student.txt").$string2add);
}
$file = "student.txt";
print("<meta HTTP-EQUIV=\"REFRESH\" content=\"0; url=downloader.php?file=./$file\">");

mysql_free_result($Recordset1);
?>
===================================================================================

in the downloader.php
=================================================================================
<?PHP

$file = $_GET['file'];
header('Content-type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Length: '.filesize($file));
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='.substr($file,10));
readfile($file);

?>
==================================================================================

it does create the file but the only thing in the file is the $data with no records below it... the error I see on the page is:


Notice: Undefined variable: row in C:\Program Files\AVS Reverse 911\exports\file_mail_student.php on line 40

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in C:\Program Files\AVS Reverse 911\exports\file_mail_student.php on line 40

Notice: Undefined variable: row in C:\Program Files\AVS Reverse 911\exports\file_mail_student.php on line 40

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in C:\Program Files\AVS Reverse 911\exports\file_mail_student.php on line 40

any ideas?

My bad, change this line->
foreach($row as $key=>$value){$string2add = $string2add.','.$value;}

with this line ->
foreach($row_Recordset1as $key=>$value){$string2add = $string2add.','.$value;}

I tried that and it come back with this:

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_VARIABLE in C:\Program Files\AVS Reverse 911\exports\file_mail_student.php on line 40

woops... there was no space before the "as"... that works great!!! is it possible to delete the file after it sends the file so it is not kept on the server also, so everytime the script runs it will create an updated copy?

you don't need to delete it. the file_put_contents("student.txt",$data);
line simply erases it and puts the $data stuff from the start