###############################################################
sub hit_counter {
###############################################################
   my $database = $config{'basepath'};
   my $datafile = $database . 'hitcount.dat';
   my $ip_timeout = 86400; # 24 hours
   my $visitor = $ENV{'REMOTE_ADDR'};
   my ($ip, $old_time, $totals);
   my %visitors;
   local $_;
   
   # We create the data directory (unless it exists)
   do {
	  umask(000);
	  mkdir "$database", 0755;	  
   } unless -d $database;
   
   # We create the data file (unless it exists)
   do {	  
	  open CNT_FILE, "> $datafile" or die $!;
	  print CNT_FILE "0\n";
	  close CNT_FILE;
   } unless -e $datafile;
   
   # We open the data file and lock it
   open CNT_FILE, "+< $datafile" or die $!;
   flock CNT_FILE, 2 or die $!;
   
   # We read the total number of past visitors
   $totals = <CNT_FILE> || 0;
   chomp $totals;
   
	  while (<CNT_FILE>) {
		chomp;
		($ip, $old_time) = split /,/;		
		$visitors{$ip} = $old_time;
	  }	  
   
   # We eliminate double clicks from the same IP
   exists $visitors{$visitor}
	  ?   (((time - $visitors{$visitor}) <= $ip_timeout) && ($visitors{$visitor} = time))
	  :   do {
		    $visitors{$visitor} = time;
		    $totals++;
		};
   
   seek CNT_FILE, 0, 0;
   truncate CNT_FILE, 0;
   
   # We store the number of real visitors
   print CNT_FILE "$totals\n";
   
   # We restore the visitors which are inside the IP-Timeout
	  foreach $ip (keys %visitors) {
		((time - $visitors{$ip}) >= $ip_timeout) && next;
		print CNT_FILE "$ip\,$visitors{$ip}\n";
	  }
	  
   close CNT_FILE;
   
   # Just for testing ...
   print "<hr>Hits: $totals<hr>";
}
###############################################################