probably a fairly simple question...

falcon1728

ok, i tried looking in all kinds of php documentation for this information, and frankly i don't even know what to look for...i might just be stupid, but anyway...

i am workin on a website in php, and i need some help with using variables. I have a variable in a file in a certain folder, and i want to access that variable in a file in a different folder. is there some kind of syntax to be able to do that?

drawmack

if you are including one file in the other you should be able to access the value unless

1) register globals is turned off
2) the value is not just in another file but inside a function within that file.

falcon1728

nope one file isn't included in the other...

the variable just holds the page title, and i want to be able to print this variable in the other file...

drawmack

well you could fopen the file and then grep for the line with the variable then grep the variable's contents then display this but it'd be much easier to stick the variable into a third file include that in both pages and have a variable that is the same between two files.

If you're looking at building a dynamic menu using this I suggest you just do up a little script that contains the menu and then include that in all your pages.

stolzyboy

Originally posted by drawmack
if you are including one file in the other you should be able to access the value unless

1) register globals is turned off
2) the value is not just in another file but inside a function within that file.

a little correction and useful information for #1

register_globals does not make a difference when including files into other files, the only way you wouldn't be able to use a variable from a file you included is if it were in a function or class in the included file and you didn't specifically make it a global variable - now that has no hinderence on register_globals either

falcon1728

i can't put the same variable into one file because the files are in separate folders.

there really isn't a way just to access the contents of a variable from a different file?

stolzyboy

and why can't you include it, include will go down the directory just like anything else

include "path/to/other/file/file.php";

drawmack

let's say I have a structure like this

folder_a/file_1.php
folder_b/file_2.php
folder_c/varFile.php

varFile holds the variabel, file_1 and file_2 are the scripts you want to use the variable.

//inside file_1.php
require_once('../folder_c/varFile.php');
//inside file_2.php
require_once('../folder_c/varFile.php');

falcon1728

the same variable exists in both files. the contents of the variable are unique to each page, but the variable name is the same. so how would i distinguish between the two?

stolzyboy

huh? example

falcon1728

ok, here's what i've got:

a big website with files in all kinds of folders, up to five levels deep.

i've got a variable, $thing, in an include file in each folder, for example:

folder_a contents:

folder_b
settings.inc (the include file with $thing)
other php pages

folder_b contents:

folder_c
settings.inc (with its OWN $thing)
other php pages

i'm trying to come up with a way to print $sectionTitle from folder_a in one of the pages in folder_b with AS LITTLE work from an average user who knows absolutely no php and probably edits their pages without looking at the code at all . i have to make these pages as user friendly as possible.

i started by making multiple variables in each folder and just changing what they link to, but that would involve work on the part of a user who can't visualize a web tree (they'd have to change each variable themselves). i want something that will work on its own, i.e. access $thing from two levels up on every page and print it.

stolzyboy

so this section title is in settings.inc.php in folder_a right?

well then in any page, simply use the full path of the webserver when you include

include "/full/path/to/folder_a/settings.inc.php";

if there is double variable names cuz of the settings.inc.php in all folders, simply include it where you want to, and that $variable will be used from that point of include and after

so if you want $title from folder_b settings.inc.php to echo out right away, then it doesn't matter after that, you can include what i showed and after that point it will use $title from the folder_a settings.inc.php

either this is what you mean, or i am confused beyond belief

falcon1728

alrighty looks like i got it.

thanks!