accessing files across local servers

skylark

where "theserver" is a machine other than the one running PHP (under an apache install on a windows box), but accessible through the local network (it is visible, for instance, under the "microsoft windows network" in explorer), an image link of the form:

properly loads the image into the browser.

and yet i can get no command to actually access that file and manipulate it. for instance,

$fs = fopen("\\theserver/adirectory/imagefile.jpg","r");

returns either an invalid argument error or the error:

php_network_getaddresses: gethostbyname

oddly enough, which error comes back seems not to be consistent.

any thoughts?

drew010

just a thought, try this:

$fs = fopen("\\theserver\adirectory\imagefile.jpg","r");

skylark

ah.. interesting idea.

but sadly, no cigar. still "invalid argument".

melody

what happens if you specify the ip address of the machine and not it's name?

skylark

well, originally it threw the same error but referencing the complementary routine, "gethostbyaddr".

i've run through so many variants by now that i've lost track, but now all attempts simply return "invalid argument) to the fopen. i think the change occurred when i manually invoked the gethostbyname and gethostbyaddr routines - and they came back with nothing.

skylark

<?
$fs = fopen("\\server\directory\file.ext","rb");
?>

i got this to work. as drew suggested everything had to be backslashes for the path to read correctly, and it takes 4 backslashes to render a correct doubleslash. i could swear i'd tried this before, but it seems to work now. i have reason to believe that actually logging in to the machine and getting it to see the other server's path through the windows network may have broken the logjam.