document root

[inverse]

i've got this script which i am trying to put on my site, but i do not understand what document root is? sorry to sound such a noob

right index.php, the file i am trying to call pages from a folder called test is using 'test/' the right thing to be doing, it's not to much of a big deal, as i can just add test/ to all the links.

but i was just wondering what the document root was for and have i totally set it up wrong

<?php

# default page
$default = 'test/home.php';

# set document root path
$base = $_SERVER['test/'];

# list of all site pages + the id they will be called by
$pages = array('home' => 'test/home.php','profile' => 'test/profile.php','portfolio' => 'test/portfolio.php','forum' => 'test/forum.php','contact' => 'test/contact.php','calender' => 'test/calender.php');

if(array_key_exists($_GET['page'], $pages))
{
foreach($pages as $pageid => $pagename) {
if($_GET['page'] == $pageid && file_exists($base.$pagename))
{
          /* if somebody's making a request for ?page=xxx and
          the page exists in the $pages array, we display it
          checking first it also exists as a page on the server */
          include $base.$pagename;
      }
   } // end foreach
}
else {
          /* if the page isn't listed in $pages, or there's no ?page=xxx request
          we show the default page, again we'll also just make sure it exists as a file
          on the server */
          if(file_exists($base.$default)) include $base.$default;
}

?> 

[inverse]

anyone have any idea' what it could be?

[RossC0]

The document root is the server path that is accessible by web visitors and robots. While it can be the server root, it is commonly set as a secondary directory such as test.

Ok - so you have your server root - which is where the web server will serve web pages from.

Then you can have document roots - which is the base directory of your application.

So in your example its document root is invalid and should be: $_SERVER[''DOCUMENT_ROOT'] If you have the page directly off the server root, if its in a directory off the root the just concatenate that on.

When it looks for pages etc... it can use the $base variable to provide the path to the file to your test directory..

[inverse]

i am guessing that it sets it to the $base varable then later on adds it to eh rest

$base.$pagename

so it can display it

but if i set $base to test/ it does nothing

but wouldn't that be the same as just writing it like test/profile.php forexample under page name

i am so confused.

if this helps here is a link to the tutorial

http://www.netcode.net/tutorials/php_mysql/easy_navigation.php

[RossC0]

Sorry - edited my post.

You need to set $base to $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];

This is a server variable which stores the server root - i.e. the base directory where the webserver serves pages from.

[inverse]

it doesn't seem to work if i leave it as document root, btw the 'content' pages, the pages it calls are in a folder called 'test'

[RossC0]

ok,

No problems - can you at the top of the page do this:

echo('The Root is here: ');
print_r($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']);
echo ('<br /> This File path from the root is:');
print_r($_SERVER['PATH_INFO']);
die();

Then post the results:

If there is any directory information in the file path from the root then - you will need to add this to the base.

i.e. $base = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/test/';

If not and everything is as should be you will need to add an extra "/" so:
$base = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/';

This is because the array that picks the pages up don't include this in the file / directory definition.

[inverse]

inside my body tags it now looks like this, is this right? have i done it wrong?

<div align="center">
	<a name="top"></a>
<table width="500" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#666666">
  <tr> 
    <td class="top"><img src="../Images/top/logo_new.jpg" width="498" height="70"></td>
    </tr>
  </table>


 <table width="500" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
 	 <tr>
 <td height="5"></td>
 </tr>
 	 <tr>
 <td class="menu_top">
 <div id="menu_top">// 
 <a href="index.php?page=home"> News </a> // <a href="index.php?page=profile">Profile</a> // <a href="index.php?page=portfolio">Portfolio </a> // <a href="index.php?page=forum">Forum</a> // <a href="index.php?page=contact">Contact</a> // <a href="index.php?page=calender">Calender</a>	//	 </div>
</td>
	 </tr>
	 <tr>
	 <td height="5"></td>
	 </tr>
	 </table>

 <table width="500" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">	 
 <tr>
<td width="380" valign="top" background="test/profile.php" class="main">

<div id="main">

 <?php

echo('The Root is here: ');
print_r($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']);
echo ('<br /> This File path from the root is:');
print_r($_SERVER['PATH_INFO']);
die();

# default page
$default = 'test/home.php';

# set document root path
$base = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/test/';

# list of all site pages + the id they will be called by
$pages = array('home' => 'home.php','profile' => 'profile.php','portfolio' => 'portfolio.php','forum' => 'forum.php','contact' => 'contact.php','calender' => 'calender.php');

if(array_key_exists($_GET['page'], $pages))
{
foreach($pages as $pageid => $pagename) {
if($_GET['page'] == $pageid && file_exists($base.$pagename))
{
          /* if somebody's making a request for ?page=xxx and
          the page exists in the $pages array, we display it
          checking first it also exists as a page on the server */
          include $base.$pagename;
      }
   } // end foreach
}
else {
          /* if the page isn't listed in $pages, or there's no ?page=xxx request
          we show the default page, again we'll also just make sure it exists as a file
          on the server */
          if(file_exists($base.$default)) include $base.$default;
}

?> 
<br>
<br>

<p align="center"><a href="#top">top</a></p>
	  </div>
	  </td>
	  	  <td width="5">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="110" valign="top" class="menu">	<div id="menu">
	<font class="menu_title">Main</font>
	<br>
      News<br>
      Profile<br>
      Portfolio      <br>      <br>
	  <font class="menu_title">Interactive</font>
	  <br>
	  Forum<br>
	  Contact<br>
	  Calender<br>
	  Partners<br>
	  </div>
	  </td>
	  </tr>
</table>

<table width="500" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	  <tr>
	  <td height="5"></td>
	  </tr>
	  <tr>
	  <td height="20" class="footer" align="center">copyright 2004 Inverse
	    Designs</td>
	  </tr>
</table>
</div>

[inverse]

well

i've done what you said

and i've echoed out the base with the added .'test'; on the end and this is what i get
/home/www/inversedesigns.superihost.com/test/

[inverse]

ok i've got it now, document_root is the root for the sub domain i've got it, sorry for sounding such like a noob, thanks guys...

[RossC0]

Good stuff!