Proper location and calling of an include file

LiquidCD

I have several html pages that I am looking to move into mysql tables and to be called using php. In order to porivde better security, I am looking at using a simple include file for each page to call the username and password for displaying the results of each table.

The include file would be along the following lines

password.php (file)

<?php
$dbhost='localhost';
$dbuser='username';
$dbpass='password';
$dbname='tablename';
?>

I am plan on putting this in a location outside the webroot. Now when i call the include file (password.php) from the page, do I need to provide the relative path, or will php find it on it's own?

I am doing this so that I only have to change one file rather than every single page if I change the username and password.

Also, I have tried calling a php function from a standard HTML page and all I get in return is the print php code. Do I need to do something in order for the php code to actually be called correctly instead of printing the code out?

Finally, what would be the proper file permissions and storage locations for php files?

The book I bought unfortunately is not as giving in information as I would like.

Thanks!

sgoku01

Question 1 [path to include]:
It's recommended to say the whole pad, because some php-versions can't find the file when you only say the filename.
So do something like this: ../Include/password.php

Question 2 [include from html-page]:
I'm not sure, but I think it's not possible to load a php script in a html page. You have to change the html-page into a php-page, and then include it with php.
So if this is you html:

<html><body><tag for include file></body></html>

You have to change it in:

<html><body><?php include('file'); ?></body></html>

I think it will work then 🙂

LiquidCD

Thank you for the information. The following 2 files have the same code. Once is saved as a php file and the other as an HTML file. I get a big difference.

http://www.lithuaniangenealogy.org/test/test4.php (this works)
http://www.lithuaniangenealogy.org/test/test4.html (doesn't work)

Here is the full code:

<body>
This is a check
<?php
$dbh=mysql_connect ("localhost", "$username", "$password") or die ('I cannot connect to the database because: ' . mysql_error());
mysql_select_db ("lithuani_LGGSonline");
$query = "SELECT * FROM testtable";
$result = mysql_query($query);
echo "<TABLE BORDER=1 cellpadding=5>";
echo "<tr>";
echo "<td width=18%><strong>Name of Child</strong></td>";
echo "<td width=10%><strong>Baptismal Date</strong></td>";
echo "<td width=20%><strong>Name of Parents</strong></td>";
echo "<td width=30%><strong>Name of Godparents</strong></td>";
echo "</tr>";
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
echo "<tr>";
echo "<td>{$row['Name of Child']}</td>";
echo "<td>{$row['Baptismal Date']}</td>";
echo "<td>{$row['Name of Parents']}</td>";
echo "<td>{$row['Name of Godparents']}</td>";
echo "</tr>";
}
echo "</TABLE>";

//while($i = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {
// if (!empty($i[0]) { //the table column that you want it to have data
// echo "<tr><td>".$i[0]."</td>";
// echo "<td>".$i[1]."</td>";
// ......
// }
//}

//$rows = mysql_num_rows($result);
//if ((!$result) or ($rows<1)) {
// echo "No result returned";
//}
//else {
// echo "Result returned.";
//}
?>

</body>
</html>

I cannot figure out why this does not work. Unless I need to do something else to get the results to display properly.

Thanks.

dustbuster

I believe that sgoku01 is correct.

You cannot call put PHP code in an html file and expect it to work.
The reason is that your webserver is treating your html file as an html file. It is just reading it and spitting it out to the browser.
As you know PHP is executed on the server first then the results are spit out to the visitors browser in another form (like html).

If you want to make it so you can have PHP in an html page you have to set up your webserver to parse html files as it would PHP files. I'm not sure but I think this involves chaning your mime types to parse .html extensions as well.

I suggest just using the first approach where you name your file .php and it works

LiquidCD

Thank you for the assist on this. I have decided that I am going to go with php file extensions
instead of html for those pages in which I am making queries from our databases. This should
work just fine. I am using each page as a representative of each table in our database since we
are dealing with genealogical information.

Trying to get anything changed via the webserver will be a real pain, especially with the ISP we are
currently with. This will work just as well. Thanks again!

The learning experience has been fun!

Senate

To make your .html files process PHP inside them without access to httpd.conf...

Make a file called .htaccess and in it put the following:

AddType application/x-httpd-php .html .php .htm

Then put it in the directory you have the .html files that have php inside them.

If you're pc is running windows.. you'll need to call the file x.htaccess or something while editing it locally.. then upload it and rename it to .htaccess
Windows won't allow you to create a file with nothing before the dot.

Example: http://x.fourums.com/test/test.html
In that file is just:

<? echo "Hello world"; ?>