Include with a query string

viper21634

I have created a switch(select case) that includes files out of my site, well here is the problem, I have coded the includes with query strings, example:

switch($page)
{
case "info":
     include("page.php?info");
     break;
case "users":
     include("users.php?list");
     break;
}

well I just tried it, wont work, it says that it is not found, so I tried adding a "./" to each link, no luck, then I set them to my web address "http://www.crossvilleinfo.com/php/mypage.php?info" still nothing, I have tried everything that I can think of, cant get it to include the page with a query string. What am I doing wrong???

evo4ever

Just use my nav system viper! do u want it?

viper21634

Already have a nav system, took me two weeks to find it, check it out http://www.crossvilleinfo.com/php/index.php

suntra

You wrote...

switch($page)
{
case "info":
     include("page.php?info");
     break;
case "users":
     include("users.php?list");
     break;
}

I'd write...

switch($page)
{
case "info":
     $sect = "info";
     include("page.php");
     break;
case "users":
     $sect = "list";
     include("users.php");
     break;
}

In your "included file", you could write something like that :

if($sect = "info") {
// Code
}

switch($sect) {
 case "info" :
 // code
 break;
 // ...
}

Etc.

Do you get it ?

Weedpacket

Remember the difference between filenames and URLs. Either make the includes full URLs (messy) or set the relevant variables and then include the file. Summat along the lines of:

case 'info':
  $foo='info';
  include('page.php');
  break;
}

viper21634

yeah, I had thought of that, but I want to try to see if I can get the query string to work. the reason?? I the page with the switch, has about 200 lines of included files all with query strings. So, you see my delima.

viper21634

I already tried setting full urls, didnt work for some reason.

Weedpacket

Originally posted by viper21634
yeah, I had thought of that, but I want to try to see if I can get the query string to work. the reason?? I the page with the switch, has about 200 lines of included files all with query strings. So, you see my delima.

Yes, it sounds like you'd be wanting to store the filenames (and their parameters) in an array which you can index by case; get PHP to work through all the individual cases.

Build by hook or by crook (suck it out of a database or (probably cleaner for static nav) PHP code in an included config file) an array summat like:

$pages=array(
    'info'=>array('sect'='info', 'file'='page.php'),
    'users'=>array('sect'='list', 'file'='users.php'),
    ...
);

And then replace the whole switch($page){...} block with

$sect=$pages[$page]['sect'];
include($pages[$page]['file']);

Kind of a programming principle that: if you find yourself doing something tedious and repetitive, ask yourself why you don't just get a machine to do it for you. Laziness is a virtue 🙂

[Edit:]Just noticed something: viper21634, after coding a switch that "has about 200 lines of included files all with query strings" then finds out that the approach is broken...

Kerry_Kobashi

Don't use URLs for require, require_once()... they take on file paths

Do this:

$filePath = "/YourSectionName/Yourfilename.php";
$docRoot = $SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"];
require_once($docRoot . $filePath);

You can get rid of all those relative pathing issues by just using the document root of your website. For Apache on a WinTel machine, $docRoot will be:

C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs\YourRoot

Kerry Kobashi
Kobashi Computing

Weedpacket

Originally posted by Kerry Kobashi
Don't use URLs for require, require_once()... they take on file paths

If "URL fopen wrappers" are enabled in PHP (which they are in the default configuration), you can specify the file to be included using an URL (via HTTP or other supported wrapper) instead of a local pathname. If the target server interprets the target file as PHP code, variables may be passed to the included file using an URL request string as used with HTTP GET. This is not strictly speaking the same thing as including the file and having it inherit the parent file's variable scope; the script is actually being run on the remote server and the result is then being included into the local script.

Kerry_Kobashi

require_once("http://www.blah.com/mypage.php");

versus

require_once("/mypage.php");

Would it be faster to make a straight file access instead of having to do a DNS lookup?

Kerry Kobashi
Kobashi Computing

viper21634

ok, here is something interisting, I looked at my php.ini, the url_fopen is on, well when I use this code:
require_once("http://www.crossvilleinfo.com/php/main.php?page=index");

I get a error, well that target page is in the same server and dir of the script that I am using that line of code from, so it will parse php, it just wont include that page

Weedpacket

I still wouldn't use URLs anyway - it means an entire http request/response transaction, and running an extra instance of PHP; I'd still use filenames.

Remember that if you include the remote file it will run that script in the other PHP instance before including the resulting output. (Course, I'm saying that without knowing whtat the error was.)

Kerry_Kobashi

Viper,

Did you try my suggestion that I mentioned on a previous post? It should work....

Kerry Kobashi
Kobashi Computing

Don't use URLs for require, require_once()... they take on file paths

Do this:

$filePath = "/YourSectionName/Yourfilename.php";
$docRoot = $SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"];
require_once($docRoot . $filePath);

You can get rid of all those relative pathing issues by just using the document root of your website. For Apache on a WinTel machine, $docRoot will be:

C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs\YourRoot

Kerry Kobashi
Kobashi Computing

Kerry_Kobashi

Weedpacket,

That was my point... the overhead involved. I always live by the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle.... somehow this discussion went into another direction.

Use the code I posted above and solve the problem - forget about all the little geeky this and that's.

I overheard Gary Player, a famous South African golfer on a practice tee a few years ago say the following:

"Paralysis by overanalysis"

Kerry Kobashi
Kobashi Computing

Weedpacket

Originally posted by Kerry Kobashi
Weedpacket,

That was my point... the overhead involved.

Well, given that I'd already pointed out the difference between URLs and filenames half an hour earlier, I interpreted your statement "Don't use URLs for require, require_once()... they take on file paths " (and not mentioning anything abut overhead) as meaning that you thought include etc. didn't take URLs.

I'd still ditch the big switch completely. It's a sign that the whole approach is getting out of hand.

viper21634

I am trying what kerry was saying, well I added in the $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] it is saying that DocRoot is an undefined index, I dont, know, my brain is turning to jelly, I worked on this damn site 15hours yesterday, and was to hyped up on coffie and coke to sleep, so I am WiReD!!!!!

Kerry_Kobashi

Viper:

What operating system and version, as well as web server are you using?

Do this:

<?php

phpinfo();

Run the little program above (create a seperate PHP file, say PhpInfo.php). Look and see if $_SERVER[DOCUMENT_ROOT] is in there. If it is not, you probably are using Windows NT. (I had this same problem and switched to Apache).

To me, not being able to get the DOCUMENT_ROOT where the physical files are is a PROBLEM in PHP. You will have difficulty creating large scale websites without it.

In that case, you have to hard code $docRoot.

I think under Windows NT running IIS 3.x+ it is:
$docRoot = "C:\InetPub";

Under Apache it is:
$docRoot = " C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs"

define("DOCROOT", $docRoot);
$yourFile = DOCROOT . "/subdir/filename.php";

Kerry Kobashi
Kobashi Computing

Weedpacket

the manual
'DOCUMENT_ROOT'
The document root directory under which the current script is executing, as defined in the server's configuration file.

Two live copies of php.ini I just checked

; The root of the PHP pages, used only if nonempty.
; if PHP was not compiled with FORCE_REDIRECT, you SHOULD set doc_root
; if you are running php as a CGI under any web server (other than IIS)
; see documentation for security issues.  The alternate is to use the
; cgi.force_redirect configuration below
doc_root =

What does yours look like?

Are you having any of the relative pathing issues Kerry Kobashi was talking about when putting forward this $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] thing? You hadn't mentioned any.

viper21634

It is just like you posted, doc_root =

I am using W2k Advanced Server SP2/IIS5.1 PHP 4

Now, do I need to set that?? or does it need to be blank