Simple question from a newbie

Ok guys... I have to write a php function that searches for a file every 2 seconds and times out if the file is not found. I am not told where to search for the file or what the file is. If the file is found, I have to pass it out of the function, preferrably as an object. Here is my skeleton code:

function searchForFile($filename)
{
if(file_exists($filename))
{
return true;
else
return false;
}
//end if
}
//end searchForFile()



$twominutes = "200000"; //estimate of how many clock cycles in 2 minutes


//search for file for 2 minutes
for($i = 0; $i < $twominutes; $i++)
{
$found = searchForFile ("myfile.txt");
if($found)
{
echo "I found it !";
break;
}
//end if
}
//end for

if ($found == false)
echo "Timed Out";
//end if

I wonder what the server load would be like if this routine looped every 2 seconds?

that code would execute 200 000 times, not every two seconds.. what are you going to use this for?

thats a hell of a load on a server, i hope your running linux

*laughs @ MS*

Yes I'm running linux. The little php function is for work.

Use something like this:

<?php

error_reporting(0);
set_time_limit(2); // 2 seconds

function searchForFile($filename)
{
if(file_exists($filename))
return true;
else
return false;
}

?>

That will set the maximum length to run a command to 2 seconds. If it fails, error_reporting(0) will make sure an error isn't output.... you can build up from this code...

Your better off making a cronjob, that runs ever 2 minutes.
Also what do u mean you have no idea where the file will be or what its called. How is the script going to get this info then ?

EDIT: Just noticed you said 2 seconds. YOu may want to fill us in on what exactly you are trying to do, and for what reasons we may have a simpeler solution for you.