The counter shows 0 or doesn't increment. Why?

Check file permissions on the data file (chmod 666) and verify the data directory path is correct. The web server needs read/write access.

Text Counter FAQ

Q: What's the difference between Text Counter and regular Counter?

Text Counter displays hits as plain text numbers, while the regular Counter uses digit images. Text Counter is faster and doesn't require image files.

Q: Can I add commas to separate thousands?

Yes, enable the comma formatting option in the script configuration. Set $use_commas = 1 to display 1,234 instead of 1234.

Frequently asked questions about the Text Counter script.

Quick Links

What's the difference between Text Counter and regular Counter?
The counter shows 0 or doesn't increment.
Can I add commas to separate thousands?
How do I change the text style or color?

Q1: What's the difference between Text Counter and regular Counter?

Short Answer:

Text Counter displays plain text, regular Counter uses digit images.

Long Answer:

Both scripts track page hits, but display them differently:

Feature	Text Counter	Regular Counter
Display	Plain text numbers	Graphical digit images
Speed	Faster	Slower (loads images)
Setup	Simple (no images)	Requires digit images
Styling	CSS/HTML	Limited to image design
File Size	Tiny	Larger (includes images)

Recommendation: Use Text Counter for speed and simplicity. Use regular Counter if you want fancy digit graphics.

Q2: The counter shows 0 or doesn't increment.

Short Answer:

Check file permissions.

Long Answer:

This is usually a permissions problem. The script needs to read and write the data file:

1. Check Data File Permissions

Set to 666 (read/write for everyone):

chmod 666 /path/to/data/count.dat

2. Check Data Directory Permissions

Directory must be 755:

chmod 755 /path/to/data/

3. Verify Data File Path

Check the $data_dir variable in the script points to the correct location.

Test Steps:

Create a test data file: echo "0" > count.dat
Set permissions: chmod 666 count.dat
Reload your page
Counter should increment to 1

Q3: Can I add commas to separate thousands?

Short Answer:

Yes, enable comma formatting.

Long Answer:

The Text Counter can format large numbers with commas for readability:

Enable Commas:

$use_commas = 1;  # Enable comma formatting

# Without commas: 1234567
# With commas:    1,234,567

Without Commas:

1234
56789
1234567

With Commas:

1,234
56,789
1,234,567

Q4: How do I change the text style or color?

Short Answer:

Use HTML/CSS styling in the script output.

Long Answer:

The Text Counter outputs plain text, which you can style using HTML and CSS:

Method 1: Add HTML in Script

print "<font color='red' size='5'><b>$count</b></font>";

Method 2: Wrap with CSS (Recommended)

<span class="counter"><!--#include virtual="/cgi-bin/textcounter.cgi"--></span>

<style>
.counter {
    font-size: 24px;
    font-weight: bold;
    color: #ff0000;
    font-family: 'Courier New', monospace;
}
</style>

Best Practice: Use CSS for styling rather than modifying the script. This keeps the script clean and makes styling changes easier.

Text Counter FAQ

Quick Links

Q1: What's the difference between Text Counter and regular Counter?

Short Answer:

Long Answer:

Q2: The counter shows 0 or doesn't increment.

Short Answer:

Long Answer:

1. Check Data File Permissions

2. Check Data Directory Permissions

3. Verify Data File Path

Test Steps:

Q3: Can I add commas to separate thousands?

Short Answer:

Long Answer:

Enable Commas:

Without Commas:

With Commas:

Q4: How do I change the text style or color?

Short Answer:

Long Answer:

Method 1: Add HTML in Script

Method 2: Wrap with CSS (Recommended)

Related FAQs

Counter FAQ

Text Clock FAQ

All FAQs