How to track file downloads without using google analytics in php?

@priscilla.langworth 

There are several ways to track file downloads in PHP without using Google Analytics. Here is one approach:

1. Create a database table to store download records. The table may include fields such as id, file_name, download_count, download_date, etc.
2. Modify the link to the downloadable file to point to a PHP script that will handle the file download tracking. For example, change the link from Download File to Download File.
3. Create the track_download.php script. This script will handle the download tracking by incrementing the download count in the database and then forwarding the user to the actual file.

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<?php
$file = $_GET['file'];

// Increment the download count in the database
// ...

// Forward the user to the actual file
$downloadPath = '/path/to/files/' . $file;
header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=' . basename($downloadPath));
readfile($downloadPath);
exit;
?>

1. In the track_download.php script, you can increment the download count for the file by updating the appropriate field in the database table.
2. To display the download count for a file, you can retrieve the count from the database table and display it wherever you need.

This approach allows you to track file downloads without relying on third-party services like Google Analytics. Note that this is a simplified example and you may need to adapt it to fit your specific requirements and database structure.