including files with includes

jstam

Suppose I have three files, file1.php, file2.php, and file3.php.

file2.php and file3.php are in includefiles, a subdirectory in a directory in which file1.php is stored.

Ie, the top level directory contains

file1.php
includefiles

includefiles contains:
file2.php
file3.php

file1.php has to include file2.php, and file2.php has to include file3.php

What I originally did was I made file1.php include(includefiles/file2.php), and file2.php include(file3.php). This worked fine

However, I accidentally made the include in file2.php as include(includefiles/file3.php), and it still worked!

When are includes executed? Is one way the more correct way?

Thanks

ganesh129

inlcude will search in subdirectories for the included files. but for sake of saving time with it including files and loading i believe it is more proper to place the subdirectory in the inlude as in.

include(includefiles/file3.php)

Frederick

Always use the direct path to an included file and not to allow search of it. You could end up with a 50/50 success.

jstam

Thanks for the tips. However, what if a file is included by files in directories at different levels? Wouldn't I run into problems then?

Perhaps I do not understand what direct path means though. What is a "direct path"?

Frederick

You are using a direct path here -> include("includefiles/file3.php");

Also another example is

../Folder_Name/file.php

which is up one level and into Folder_Name

jstam

Oh I think I understand!

So if I had one file (say, "file1.php") that is to include another (file.php) in the same directory, I should just include('./file.php') in file1.php?

And any file that includes file1.php will in turn include file.php, regardless of its location?

Frederick

For example, I will use a file called Misc.php for misc functions and Dropmenus.php for dropmenu functions.

When I want to use those functions in my page, I will call them as follows:

include("Includes/Misc.php");
include("Sources/Dropmenus.php");

Now you can use include() inside of included files. Just remember that you have to place your includes before the content of what you are wanting from that file.

Including files is just another method of adding content to a page or to the source.