Variables in includes all mixed in with html

islandcat

As my first dabble in php, I have taken on some legacy code and am in need of help!

The base page is php, called absence_map.php and contains:
<?php
/
(C) UK 2004 Carval Computing Ltd
Author Richard Quadling
/
$theme = $HTTP_GET_VARS["theme"];
error_reporting(E_ALL);
set_time_limit(0);
require_once('absence_map.inc');
$HR = new AbsenceMap_Kalendar_TreeData();
echo $HR->Render();
?>

The absence_map.inc contains all the code to create the map. In the centre of this inc file is some HTML code wrapped in <<< END_CODE END_CODE; tags. This php calendar is being incorporated in an asp application and needs to get a string variable from the querystring. As you can see, I've read in the info from the querystring into the variable $theme but when I try to get $theme to echo in the wrapped HTML in the inc file I get an undefined variable notice.

A base summary of the contents of absence_map.inc:
<?php
$theme = $HTTP_GET_VARS["theme"];
code....
database connection ...
querying ...
. <<< END_CODE

HTML Code - need to be able to use $theme variable here to fetch correct image path... have tried ...
<img src=../<?php echo $theme?>/bartop.gif> but doesn't work
then there is more php ...

END_CODE;

bit more php

Sorry this is such a long post - all help and suggestions very welcome, thanks 🙂

bailo81

For the image try echoing the whole line like this:

<?php
echo "<img src=\"$theme/bartop.gif\">";
?>

Hope this little bit helps!

islandcat

Thank you for your response but it still comes up with the same error, undefined variable. I've taken a look at the source of the rendered page and the php tags are clearly visible and I'm not sure if that means its not being parsed correctly. I'm very much used to asp coding so didn't know if php code should remain invisible to the user?

bailo81

I'm a relative newbie to this myself. The php shouldnt be able to be viewed in the source of the page.

Instead of : $HTTP_GET_VARS

I have always used just $_GET

like this:

$theme = $_GET['theme'];

Not sure if it will make any difference but I've never had a problem with it.

islandcat

I have tried your suggestion and it seems that the $theme variable is being set correctly. I can echo it out correctly if I put the echo in the top code section of the absence_map.inc

Trouble is I still can't get the $theme variable to echo correctly when placed in the html section. Even wrapped in the correct <?php ?> tags, the browser just doesn't seem to parse it as php, only text.

bailo81

Have you tried putting the $_GET in the include rather than in the main page?

islandcat

I have, in fact in sheer desperation, I put it in the php page and the include 🙂

islandcat

It seems like any php code put in with the html within the include gets parsed as text only. I wondered if it was something to do with the . <<< End Code and End_Code tags as I'm a bit stumped as to their usage

leatherback

islandcat wrote:
It seems like any php code put in with the html within the include gets parsed as text only. I wondered if it was something to do with the . <<< End Code and End_Code tags as I'm a bit stumped as to their usage

Hi,

These tags delimit string sequences within PhP codes:
Heredoc

Another way to delimit strings is by using heredoc syntax ("<<<"). One should provide an identifier after <<<, then the string, and then the same identifier to close the quotation.

The closing identifier must begin in the first column of the line. Also, the identifier used must follow the same naming rules as any other label in PHP: it must contain only alphanumeric characters and underscores, and must start with a non-digit character or underscore.

islandcat

Thank you very much for your help bailo81 and leatherback. With a combination of your suggestions and finally understanding what those tags were, it now works!! Woohoo! Your time is much appreciated 🙂

islandcat

It turned out there were a sequence of nested includes which once I traced back, I was able to echo the entire html line and place them within the correct include