[RESOLVED] Dynamic Includes via Reference

ZK-DABLIN

Hi, I require a little help creating dynamic includes via reference. Please let me explain what I am trying to do.

I created a PHP script called REF.PHP which processes information passed to it via ?id=someid. I have given each webpage, image and CSS file its own ID which looks something like 0509011224. So it would work something like;

http://www.webserver/ref.asp?id=0509011224

Using this feature I can create HYPERLINKS, include IMAGES and CSS files by the method above. What I am trouble with is including webpages through PHP includes using this feature.

The traditional method is

<?PHP INCLUDE 'webpage.php' ?>

What I want to do is include webpage.php by its ID.

Ie.

<?PHP INCLUDE 'ref.php?0509011224' ?>

That method didn't work though, and only provided an invalid stream error. Is there some method of retrieving the webpage to include from another webpage using this method?

If it helps, here is the current code within my ref.php file.

<?PHP

$id=$_GET['id'];

if ($id=="about") {

    echo "REF.PHP - Copyright (c) 2005 by Paul Moffat";}

elseif ($id=="il2") {
    header("Location: http://www.il2sturmovik.com/");}

elseif ($id=="0508271939") header("Location: /zkdcc/inc/header.php");
elseif ($id=="0508272001") header("Location: /zkdcc/main.css");
elseif ($id=="0508272150") header("Location: /zkdcc/image/title.jpg");
elseif ($id=="0508262053") header("Location: /zkdcc/index.php");

I am hoping that there is someway that this REF.PHP webpage can somehow process the ID given to it and provide the calling webpage with the associated webpage address.

I know this isn't possible within ASP but was hoping PHP was capable of doing so.

Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Regards, ZK-DABLIN

drew010

since you have
$id=$_GET['id'];
as the first line of ref.php, all you need to do is include('ref.php'); and if id is set in the query string it will work as you want. the reason you cant include('ref.php?id=xxx') is because doing that it actually looks for a file called ref.php?id=xxx. since including local files doesnt use an http request, you cant include using a parameter in the query string.

Sayian

First off , if you require the files , you should be using require_once() and NOT include() ..

Second , your sending yourself to the files you want to include , and not including them.

The proper syntax should be

elseif ($id=="0508271939") require_once('/zkdcc/inc/header.php');

and so on ...

ZK-DABLIN

Hmm, great advice for REF.PHP but I am not sure if that would work.

If all I have to do is include('ref.php'); then how do I pass the ID?

REF.PHP will run but without the ID it wont know which file to pass to. The problem is not within REF.PHP but passing the ID to the webpage within an INCLUDE statement. As you said before the ID will only become included with the filename and the server will create an error because no file called 'ref.php?id=whatever' doesn't exist.

What I need is a method of providing the INCLUDE statement not only with the filename of REF.PHP but also the ID with which it will operate by.

When recieving the ID REF.PHP does work correctly, though as you say maybe not with the best instructions (require_once may be more suitable) but the operation of REF.PHP is another issue. It all comes down to basic communication. I want to include the file REF.PHP points to other the REF.PHP itself. Merely including to REF.PHP without some means of passing the ID with it is like adding numbers without the numbers.

I really do appreciate you help DREW and SAYLAN, and your advice will be heeded and I will make the necessary changes to REF.PHP as suggested.

I hope you guys understand what I am getting at, any further help will also be appreciated. If is quite amazing such a simple method of operation doesn't seem so easily acheived. I am no expert programmer or web designer by no means, but what I have observed by most programming languages, web based or not, is that through complication some basic qualities of communication are sacrificed.

Hmm, I may be missing something here and I hope I am and do not really want to make any hasty opinions about PHP. Such things must somehow be possible.

Sayian

The only feedback i can offer you as of now is this ..

I , Myself am also not a expert php programmer , their are many other members of this board far better then me , and to be honest with you , im not exactly sure what your trying to do , so my advice to you is dont giveup on PHP

The language is very powerfull , and it can do ANYTHING you want it to with the proper code ..

Sorry i cant help you further , Best regards with your website

ZK-DABLIN

Sayianm you were completely right! I figured it out for myself.

The problem was I been using the incorrect context within the INCLUDE statement. A little read in the PHP manual brought me to light on that one.

I couldn't include a third party file like;

INCLUDE 'ref.php?id=12347'

but if I provided the complete URL it does work;

INCLUDE 'http://www.localhost/ref.php?id=12347'

What this does is includes REF.PHP and determines what the id '12347' stands for. Within REF.PHP it refers to another webpage like 'header.php' for example.

So by including REF.PHP?id=12347 I am actually including HEADER.PHP - '12347' is only a means of identifying to REF.PHP which file I want to include. This way I can provide all the links within one webpage (REF.PHP) so if I move them about the website I only have to modify the URL within that one webpage and all links to HEADER.PHP for example will work correctly through '12347' no matter where it is on the website.

Thanks for your encouragement Sayrian. PHP IS very powerful, and with the RIGHT code, yes it can do practically anything. I've been told ASP cant do this, so PHP is quite well featured isn't it?

Now all I have to figure out is how to set this thread to RESOLVED.