fopen() / fputcsv( ) : error

Question

Im looking for a way to export to a csv on the fly and came accross this.

    $list = array (
                   array('aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc', 'dddd'),
                   array('123', '456', '789'),
                   array('"aaa"', '"bbb"')
                   );
    $fp = fopen('path_to_file/file.csv', 'w');

    foreach ($list as $fields) {
        fputcsv($fp, $fields);
    }

    fclose($fp);

Its just the basic code taken from the php.net page. Anyway i stuck it in to try it our before using it for my own needs. But i keep getting the following errors.

PHP Warning:  fopen(path_to_file): failed to open stream
fputcsv() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given
fclose() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given

I'm unsure why the fopen() error is appearing as i want it to just create a new file on the fly anyway, which was what i thought it done anyway?

Is it safe to assume that this is a file permission error?

Also since im using the exact code from the php.net page im assuming the other errors are displaying because of the fopen() issue.

EDIT.

It seems like i might be better to post some more info.

The classes involved.

 class transData{
var $connection;
var $date;
var $data;

function __construct($date){
    $this->date = $date;
    return;
}

function getData(){ //this method just pulls the results of the query and returns them as an array
    global $connection;
    $date=$this->date;

    //get num row for each date/fromfile combo, one with the most should be the most uptodate.
    // count(fromfile) for specific date, one with most will be the most up to date, if more than one then take the one with highest appended int
    $count=array();
    $x=0;
    $mysqli_result=$connection->query("select fromfile,count(fromfile) from transdata where soldtime like '%".$date."%' group by fromfile");
    while($row=$mysqli_result->fetch_row()){
        $count[$row[0]]=$row[1];
    }
    $mysqli_result->free();
    //got the data in array, now rearrange to get one with highest count
    arsort($count);
    $fromFile=key($count);


    $temp=array();
    $x=0;
    $mysqli_result=$connection->query("select * from transdata where soldtime like '%".$date."%' and fromFile='".$fromFile."' order by soldtime desc");
    while($row=$mysqli_result->fetch_row()){
        $temp[$x]['id']=$row[0];
        $temp[$x]['departure']=$row[1];
        $temp[$x]['type']=$row[2];
        $temp[$x]['typeText']=$row[3];
        $temp[$x]['price']=$row[4];
        $temp[$x]['soldTime']=$row[5];
        $temp[$x]['dateAdded']=$row[6];
        $temp[$x]['fromFile']=$row[7];
        $x++;

    }
    $this->data = $temp;
    $mysqli_result->free();
    return;
}




function dayTotal($noDays){
    //$list=array();
    $html="<table class=\"paxdata\">";

    $html.="<tr><th>Day</th><th>Date</th><th>No. Sold</th><th>Total Price(£)</th><th></th></tr>";
    //$list=array('Day','Date','No. Sold','Total Price(£)');
    //build list of dates to work with
    $inc=0;
    $hours=array();$hours[0]=0;$hours[1]=24;$hours[2]=48;$hours[3]=72;$hours[4]=96;$hours[5]=120;$hours[6]=144;$hours[7]=168;

    while($inc!=$noDays){

        $date=date('Y/n/j',time() - 60 * 60 * $hours[$inc]);        //format for calling class transData()
        $formatDate=date('Y-m-d',time() - 60 * 60 * $hours[$inc]);  //format for displaying date in table
        $day=date('l',time() - 60 * 60 * $hours[$inc]);             //text day name

        $link=explode('/',$date);

        //call to this class to get all the data for us
        $getData = new transData($date);
        $all = $getData->getData();
        $stuff = $getData->data;        

        $x=0;$price=0;
        foreach($stuff as $v){
            $price=$price+$v['price'];
            $x++;

        }
        $totalSold=$totalSold+$x;
        $totalPrice=$totalPrice+$price;

        $checkOdd=new numeric();
        $odd=$checkOdd->is_odd($inc);
        if($odd==1){$html.="<tr class=\"odd\">";}else{$html.="<tr class=\"even\">";}
        $html.="<td width=\"100px\">".$day."</td><td width=\"100px\">".$formatDate."</td><td>".$x."</td><td>".fixedToFloat($price)."</td><td><a href=\"index.php?module=chooseDate&year=$link[0]&month=$link[1]&day=$link[2]\">More info?</a></td></tr>";
        //$list=array($day,$formatDate,$x,$price);
        $inc++;
    }
    $html.="<tr><td></td><th>Totals:</th><th>".$totalSold."</th><th>".fixedToFloat($totalPrice)."</th></tr>";
    $html.="</table>";
    echo $html;


    $list = array (
                   array('aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc', 'dddd'),
                   array('123', '456', '789'),
                   array('"aaa"', '"bbb"')
                   );
    $fp = fopen('~/file.csv', 'w');
    if ($fp != false){
        foreach ($list as $fields) {
            fputcsv($fp, $fields);
        }
    }
    fclose($fp);

}

  }

Called by this via the browser.

$date=date('Y/n/j');

$getData = new transData($date);
$all = $getData->getData();
$getData->dayTotal(7);

The response in /var/log/system.log

   PHP Notice:  Undefined variable: totalSold in /Users/me/Sites/KF/sales/specificClasses.php on line 218
   PHP Notice:  Undefined variable: totalPrice in /Users/me/Sites/KF/sales/specificClasses.php on line 219
   PHP Warning:  fopen(~/Sites/KF/file.csv): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /Users/me/Sites/KF/sales/specificClasses.php on line 238
   PHP Warning:  fclose() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given in /Users/me/Sites/KF/sales/specificClasses.php on line 244

Answer 1

From PHP.net docs for fopen:

Return Values

Returns a file pointer resource on success, or FALSE on error.

Either your code can't find "path_to_file/file.csv", or your web server (or CLI) doesn't have permission to write there.