What are some alternative methods to using a database for a hit counter in PHP?

Using a database for a hit counter in PHP can be resource-intensive and may not be necessary for simple applications. One alternative method is to use a text file to store the hit count. This can be a more lightweight solution and can work well for smaller projects. 

<?php
$counter_file = 'hitcount.txt';

// Read the current hit count from the file
$current_count = (file_exists($counter_file)) ? file_get_contents($counter_file) : 0;

// Increment the hit count
$current_count++;

// Write the updated hit count back to the file
file_put_contents($counter_file, $current_count);

echo "This page has been visited $current_count times.";
?>

Keywords

file handling sessions cookies caching flat file database

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