Include() and Require() Question?

seannel

I am an old hand at ASP and now started with PHP which, I quite like up to date.

My question is:

Why can't I include a file from the root? eg:

<?php include('/includes/footer.htm'); ?>

If I am two directories down, I need to use a complete path statement as such:

<?php include('../../includes/footer.htm'); ?>

Actually, that is how I got it to work but there must be a more elegant way? If I create a template for web content, It is really a pain to move the files arround in directories and then having to update all the links manualy.

Is it possible that ASP has this part down better than PHP?:eek:

TalonFinsky

It seems to work for me, with both double quotes and single quotes.

Are you getting a parse error when you try?

seannel

Warning: Failed opening '/includes/footer.htm' for inclusion (include_path='.;c:\php4\pear') in E:\workfolders\currentSITES[url]www.cnphoto.co.za\content\weddings\untitled.php[/url] on line 9

As far as I can see, the quotes is not the problem but the root acces of the web is.

I can't see why this should happen.

This is my code
<body>
<?php include("/includes/footer.htm"); ?>

</body>
</html>

TalonFinsky

Wow, ya just confused me.. Is the server you're running the page off of a windows based server or a unix based server?

Never heard of unix pathing working on windows servers, but I'm still somewhat new myself.

On my unix server, as a test I made a directory on my "/" partition called includes, and put an include file in there.

<?php include("/includes/test.inc"); ?>

That worked just fine. I'm not familiar enough with windows based servers to sound TOO sure of myself, but wouldn't you want to use:

<?php include("C:\\includes\\footer.htm"); ?>

(or whatever your top level (root) directory would be)??

seannel

I tried it on a win2k IIS server (my development box) and a Redhat linux/apache server:

http://www.dh.co.za/content/template.php
http://www.dh.co.za/content/template2.php

(if you want to have a look-see about the difference. In template2 I changed 2 includes to point relative to document instead of relative to root)

I have never had any problems with these types of includes (That is, in ASP)because both server types uses "relative to root" for including images and stylesheets into html docs, I can't see that the php and zend developers won't develop the allong the same strategy!?

Am I an Idiot?

I have scoured all the message boards and forums but I just can't get this one figured out, everybody says it should work fine...

The other thing is that the include type works great in the root directory, but move it two directories down, then it just goes beserk!

PS
I can't use c:// type referal because I do not know that the file actually resides on a drive C:

knelson

hello-

if you have access to the webserver and php.ini file, modify the pathname in the Include Path directive. (And then restart your websever.) I've had similar problems to the ones you're describing--bizzarre results from one server environment to another. Sometimes using require() or require_once() would do the trick, sometimes using include(), in any directory, worked.

Modifying the php.ini file to your needs should solve the problem.

The PHP gospel is to leave the include path in a non-HTTP directory so that it's protected; if your config files, connection scripts, etc., are in an HTTP directory, be sure to block anonymous access to it.

hope this helps.

knelson

seannel

thanx, that seems to be the most sensible thing to do, but now therin lies one small problem...

NOT MY SERVER

Is there any way in which this problem can be overcome without root access?