Problem with include_path

[niteswmr]

I am using php 4.3.3 with Apache 2 on Windows 2000 Professional to develop pages on my desktop. Is there anyway that I can get php to parse "require('/common/htmlfuncts.php')"? Currently it gives a fatal error.

Leaving off the first / works (i.e. "require('common/htmlfunctions.php')", but that then won't work with the webhost I use. Any suggestions, or is it impossible to get php on windows to accept this? I very much doubt I can get the include_path on my webhost changed to add in a path to my web root.

thanks

[Moonglobe]

require $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']."common/blah.inc";