Single File ?!?

matronik

I'm asking myself if it's a better idea, while building up a website with a content management system, to use only one file (i.e. index.php that controls sections and actions for each module) or it is a better idea to use different files (i.e. register.php for Registering and consultingDB.php for another purpose).

Please help me to take the best way.

aaroncampbell

Well, I'd say that it really depends on what you prefer. I prefer to seperate it. Unless you are REALLY organized, a one-page site will be an awful lot of code to parse for 1 page. Besides, people DO look at the URL to tell them where they are. It helps to keep it somewhat descriptive.

Just my $0.02

thorpe

it really depends. if you have most of your hard work done in classes then just include them into this one script.

check out my post here ( application design? ), that one single file controls ALL the logic for a complete content management system front end. all in about 50 lines of code. it just calls on my classes to do the hard work.

gfoot

If you really want to implement your site in one file, you can still present different names to the user using mod_rewrite. Or just <?php include("index.php") ?> in each other file if you can't use mod_rewrite.

Personally I'd never want to put too much in one file though - it quickly gets out of control and much harder to maintain.

mrhappiness

I have it like this

/*
initialise
- template engine
- database class
- user and permission management
- menu class
*/

//check for logout

//activate account

/*
submitted forms
*/

//login
if ($activation_successful or (isset($_POST['login_send']) or isset($_POST['login_name'])))
	include_once INCLUDE_DIR.'pages/login_submit.inc.php';

//forgotten password
if (isset($_POST['login_new_pass']) or isset($_POST['login_mail']))
	include_once INCLUDE_DIR.'pages/forgotten_pass.inc.php';

//signup of new user
if (isset($_POST['signup_send']) or isset($_POST['signup_username']))
	include_once INCLUDE_DIR.'pages/signup_submit.inc.php';

//contact form sent
if (isset($_POST['contact_send']))
	include_once INCLUDE_DIR.'pages/contact_send.inc.php';

//profile changed
if (isset($_POST['profil_send']))
	include_once INCLUDE_DIR.'pages/profile_submit.inc.php';

//initialise page to display (content)
if (empty($_GET['show']))
	$_GET['show'] = 0;

/*
page to display
*/
if (!in_array($_GET['action', $allowed_nav))
  $_GET['action'] = 'main';
include_once INCLUDE_DIR.'pages/'.$_GET['action'].'_display.inc.php';

/*
assign menu to template class
assign statistics to template class
display template
*/

this way i have a small index.php handling all the stuff as a "single point of contact" 😉 and the application logic itself is "outsorced"

the links are rewritten (mod_rewrite), noone can include pages that are not meant for inclusion and i feel quite safe 🙂

Weedpacket

What happens if I submit a form that contains both login_send AND login_mail fields (or any such combination)?

mrhappiness

Originally posted by Weedpacket
What happens if I submit a form that contains both login_send AND login_mail fields (or any such combination)?

normally this won't happen as these are the names of the submit buttons

but if somehow i get an HTTP POST request with both fields filled the follwing will happen:
you will be logged in (if username and password are valid and the user is activated yet and not locked by an admin)

Afterwards the code of forgotten_pass.inc.php will be executed and the user with the mail adress specified will receive a new password

That is not a bug, but a feature 😉

maybe i replace the ifs by an if elseif ... elseif 🙂

thorpe

maybe i replace the ifs by an if elseif ... elseif

or a switch. switches are much easier to read when there are multiple choices, but you only want one to resolve.

mrhappiness

Originally posted by thorpe
or a switch

but then I would have to use:

switch (true)
  case ($activation_successful or (isset($_POST['login_send']) or isset($_POST['login_name']))):
  case (next_condition):
...
}

which is not really more readable imo

pohopo

i have been working on a portal system and i use one page (index.php) to load everything. as someone said you do need to make sure you are well organized as things can get messy.

i use a tiered model so my functions are in classes, my queries are in stored procs, and my design/presentation are include files i call modules. And for each module I assign a unique prefix to identify anything that come from that module. So for a textbox in module na1 my input would be

<input type=text id=na1_txb_user_name  ....>

na1 tells me which module (include file) this textbox is from.

okay, went off a little on a tangent. hope this helps.

kryptn

it wasnt that hard. took me a while to actually get how i was going to do it, but you can just make a quick "engine" to get it.

head();
$page = $_REQUEST['page'];
if($page == null){
    index();
}
else{
    if(function_exists($page))
        $page();
    else
        error($page);
}
foot();

it just gets the function called by the get variable "page." simply put, i would type localhost/?page=script

it would make sure the function script exists, and if it does, it runs it!

my website uses it, and i made a quick template for it.

edit:
the if-elseif-else method of making multiple pages is probably better only if there are few pages (2-4). on my site theres at least 20, so i made that quick "engine"