Got the 'include' blues

azunoman

I am trying my best to modulaize my code. This basically entails using an include like a function. I don't use functions because I want the form/table code in html so that I can change them using DWMX in design mode. As I understand it, using a function to call a form/table, would require me to echo the form/table to the page.

I enjoy coding php, and am getting a 'little better everyday'. When I get something working, I then like to put them in proper directories that make logical sense. In doing so I tend to break everthing and struggle getting the includes working with the '../' etc. method.

The other day I decided to try and figure a better way of doing things so that I could move on with the real work. But alas the soultion I came up with, while fixing some of my problems, breaks others.

In my main include (called by all), I coded the folloing:

define("ROOT", "c:/phpdev5/www/GotLeague/");
define("FORM_ADMIN", ROOT."forms/admin.php");
define("FORM_CLUBS", ROOT."forms/clubs.php");
define("FORM_DIVISIONS", ROOT."forms/divisions.php");
define("FORM_LEAGUE", ROOT."forms/league.php");
define("FORM_PICK_SPORT", ROOT."forms/pick_sport.php");
define("FORM_TEAMS", ROOT."forms/teams.php");
define("FORM_PLAYERS", ROOT."forms/players.php");
define("PROC_FORM_ADMIN", ROOT."forms/proc_form_admin.php");
define("LSETUP", ROOT."setup/league_setup/setup.php");

Now I can call any of these page coded with a define statement example: include FORM_ADMIN;

This only solves part of my problem, because if FORM_ADMIN includes LSTEUP, LSTEUP is built on a template that has img src, which uses ../../ etc to point to the image. Since LSETUP is included in the directory that may be n deep, while the img src is located x deep...img src is NOT found...

I would like to stay with this 'define' methodolgy if at all possible.

ok, rambling aside, there has to be a best practice to using includes and file structure. This is driving me crazy!....and it's not the first time I have tried on my own to address this.

Side note, I contacted my ISP, they do not allow folks to change their include_path in the php.ini. I do not want to be dictated to about where I store my php code by my ISP or the language.

Thanks to all for bearing with this old s370 assembler programmer.

azunoman

From what I can tell, most people must have a very simple web directory structure or just not having problems with dealing with alot of nested includes and the ../../ or the ../ whichever the case may or may not be. I have been beaten around the head, neck, and shoulders with failing includes.

I suspect folks are just keeping it simple, like everyting 1 or two deep. Thank god for the manual in this case, as I found someone using a defined constant depicting the path to an include. Now I can just use the constant name for the include and move on with life.

For those that want to have a nice...whatever deep web directory structure...here is the code I am using...it is in the include for all my pages.

when you want to include...
use the ROOT...
when you want to link...
use URL_ROOT.

Now whenever you want to move a bloody file or an entire directory..just update one include file, the affected define(s).

define("URL_ROOT", "http://localhost/GotLeague/");
define("ROOT", "c:/phpdev5/www/GotLeague/");  

//WHEN USED AS AN INCLUDE)
define("ADMIN", ROOT."forms/admin.php"); 

//WHEN YOU WANT TO LINK TO IT)
define("ADMIN_URL", URL_ROOT."forms/admin.php");
 ?>