Server Side Includes

valleysoapbox

I have been working on a zfeeder app, which resides outside my root directory, and the proper permissions are set correctly.

My question:

include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']. '/blog/zfeeder/ newsfeeds/zfeeder.php'); (minus the php markers)

Is this considered a Server Side Include?

When I am trying to run this in my index.php (home page), does that index file need permissions set in order for the script to run?

I have another parse.php script that is in my root directory, and when I trying to include that I run into the same errors, namely:

For parse.php that resides within root directory:
Undefined index: DOCUMENT_ROOT in C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com\www\index.php on line 128

For zfeeder that is outside my root directory:
Notice: Undefined variable: DOCUMENT_ROOT in C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com\www\index.php on line 135

The line numbers always reference the include.
I have tried using the include in several different ways, as offered by this forum and by zfeeder, and am stumped at this point.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

jabi

Since your error message is using the \ instead of /, I'm guessing that your host is on a Windows box. If so, the $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] is not available. You need to hard code it.

To make life simpler, I usually assign a variable to my document root such as $inc_path = "C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com\www"

If a path starts on the same level as the web space, I use a different variable $out_path = "C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com"

I keep my path variables in a session and start a session on every page. This is because I'm lazy and don't want to keep typing the path. I also need to track different paths, depending on which server I'm using.

I develop on a Windows 2000 server and can use either \ or / locally. Since I deploy on a UNIX box, I consistently use the /.

When you include your file, make sure you enclose and quote it:
include("C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com\blog\zfeeder\ newsfeeds\zfeeder.php")
OR
include("$out_path\blog\zfeeder\ newsfeeds\zfeeder.php").

valleysoapbox

Not even my webhost will mention this difference.

I have one final questions:

To make life simpler, I usually assign a variable to my document root such as $inc_path = "C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com\www"

Does this happen in the top of the file housing the script or the file I'll be calling the script?

You mentioned:

I keep my path variables in a session and start a session on every page.

Do I even need to start a session, as you mentioned? I'm merely calling a script, and all instructions I have never mention this, but to call the script through the include statement.

jabi

It needs to be on the page calling for the include. You need to append the rest of the path to the include file. So, if the file is in your webspace at /dir1/dir2, you would need to call

include("$inc_path/dir1/dir2/filename.php")

You don't have to use variables to represent your paths, you could type it in to each script that needs it. I use them because of the multiple environments I'm working with and got tired of trying to remember which set of files went where! So, I use a switch statement to determine the hostname and set the variables appropriately.

I generate the pages from the top webspace directory using all include files, so the first one that is called is "page_open_inc.php".

include_once('page_open.inc.php');

The script on this page is

<?php
@session_start();
// Prevent direct access to page
if($PHP_SELF == "/page_open.inc.php") {
//Redirect to error page that sets echos the error message and grabs the session variables on page_open_inc.php
header("location: /error.php?err=ua001");
exit;
}

@session_start();
session_register('inc_path');
session_register('out_path');

$inc_path = "C://Users/Top Notch Hosting/valleysoapbox.com/www";
$out_path = "C://Users/Top Notch Hosting/valleysoapbox.com";

?>

Test to make sure the / is acceptable on your server. If not, you will need to use the \s and don't forget to escape them!

Re: your hosting service not telling you, most of them think that users know how to run the phpinfo() function to learn about their environment.

Let me know if this helps.

valleysoapbox

I have to say you're a magician.

This worked perfectly for my parse.php file that is in the same path as my index.php (home) page.

When I applied the same technique to my zfeeder file,
it still wasn't happy:

Warning: main(C://Users/Top Notch Hosting/valleysoapbox.com/www/blog/newsfeeds/zfeeder.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com\www\index.php on line 136

Warning: main(): Failed opening 'C://Users/Top Notch Hosting/valleysoapbox.com/www/blog/newsfeeds/zfeeder.php' for inclusion (include_path='.;c:\php4\pear') in C:\Users\Top Notch Hosting\valleysoapbox.com\www\index.php on line 136

jabi

It looks like you tried to use the same path for your blog.

You said that it was in a different directory, on the same level as your www path. Well, I tried to reach it using http://www.valleysoapbox.com/blog/newsfeeds/zfeeder.php and couldn't get it.

Can you upload files to the(/blog/newsfeeds) directory? If so, create a non informative index.php file that just does

<?php 
echo "I'm here"; 
?>

for testing and see if you can reach it at http://www.valleysoapbox.com/blog/newsfeeds/.

If you can, then modify the index.php file to read:

<?php echo
 "I'm here";
phpinfo(); 
?>

and call it again.

In the PHP Variables section of the page that is generated, there will be a line that shows

_SERVER["PATH_TRANSLATED"]

This line will show the true, physical path to the calling (index.php) file. That will give you the path to your include file.

Once you're done, save a copy of the generated page on your local machine for reference and remove it from your hosting server. You really don't want the world to have access to this information.

If you can't do this, then you will need to contact your hosting provider for the information. Many hosting service providers give you a set-up letter or an on-line capability to determine this info. But all should be able to give you this information.

I'm not really a magician, just someone who has had to navigate thru this minefield more than once. Let me know.

valleysoapbox

I'm sorry,

this is the correct link to zfeeder.php

http://www.valleysoapbox.com/blog/zfeeder/newsfeeds/zfeeder.php

Now you will see my errors.

jabi

Looks like you worked out the paths ok.

These errors appear to be coming from your script set-up. Recheck your paths here. Looks like you might have set your cache directory to /CGI-BIN/cache instead of the full path.