[RESOLVED] PHP Includes if/else Help

[lilwingman]

My website was running perfectly on my home computer, but when I uploaded it to my server it became plagued with errors.

I've been trying to add if/else statements all day, but I don't really understand them all that well, and I can't seem to find a source online for what I'm trying to do.

Here's the original code before the if/else statements:

<?PHP

$booksNumber=$_GET['b'];
$clothingNumber=$_GET['cl'];
$collectiblesNumber=$_GET['c'];
$gamesNumber=$_GET['g'];
$miscNumber=$_GET['mi'];
$moviesNumber=$_GET['m'];
$postersNumber=$_GET['p'];
$toysNumber=$_GET['t'];
$pageName=$_GET['pa'];
$default = "content/news/news.php"; if(!$id){$id = $default;}
include ("$id");
include('content/'.$pageName.'.php');
include('products/books/'.$booksNumber.'.php');
include('products/clothing/'.$clothingNumber.'.php');
include('products/collectibles/'.$collectiblesNumber.'.php');
include('products/games/'.$gamesNumber.'.php');
include('products/misc/'.$miscNumber.'.php');
include('products/movies/'.$moviesNumber.'.php');
include('products/posters/'.$postersNumber.'.php');
include('products/toys/'.$toysNumber.'.php');
include('layout/before.php');
echo $page_Header;
include('layout/space.php');
echo $page_Text;
include('layout/after.php');

?>

And here's the code as of now, with a few if/else statements:

<?PHP

$default = "content/news/news.php"; 
if(!isset($id)){
	$id = $default;
}
if (!isset($_GET['b'])){
	$booksNumber = "index"; 
}
else{
	$booksNumber=$_GET['b'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['cl'])){
	$clothingNumber = "index"; 
}
else{
	$clothingNumber=$_GET['cl'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['c'])){
	$collectiblesNumber = "index";
}
else{
	$collectiblesNumber=$_GET['cl'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['g'])){
	$gamesNumber = "index"; 
}
else{
	$gamesNumber=$_GET['g'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['mi'])){
	$miscNumber = "index";
}
else{
	$miscNumber=$_GET['mi'];
}
if(!isset($_GET['m'])){
	$moviesNumber = "index";
}
else{
	$moviesNumber=$_GET['m'];
}
if(!isset($_GET['p'])){
	$postersNumber = "index";
}
else{
	$postersNumber=$_GET['p'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['t'])){
	$toysNumber = "index"; 
}
else{
	$toysNumber=$_GET['t'];
}
if(!isset($_GET['pa'])){
	$pageName = "news/news"; 
}
else{
	$pageName=$_GET['pa'];
}

/* some more if else statements need to be made */
include ("$id");
include('content/'.$pageName.'.php');
include('products/books/'.$booksNumber.'.php');
include('products/clothing/'.$clothingNumber.'.php');
include('products/collectibles/'.$collectiblesNumber.'.php');
include('products/games/'.$gamesNumber.'.php');
include('products/misc/'.$miscNumber.'.php');
include('products/movies/'.$moviesNumber.'.php');
include('products/posters/'.$postersNumber.'.php');
include('products/toys/'.$toysNumber.'.php');
include('layout/before.php');
echo $page_Header;
include('layout/space.php');
echo $page_Text;
include('layout/after.php');

?>

the errors dissappeared on the home page with the newly updated code, but now I'm confronted by a whole new slew of problems. Tthe home page I had designated is simply gone (maybe my $default is calling it incorrectly?). The site seems to only be able to load the $toysNumber index page. No matter what I direct the browser to, the $toysNumber index shows up. Also, for all the other default pages, if I direct the browser to any of them, like index.php?pa= for example, the toys index page still comes up, and I get an error at the top of the screen like I was getting earlier.

I think I still need a few more if/else statements to accompany the actual includes (not sure if it would fix my problem or not), but I have no idea how to write one that will only include files from a particular directory when that directory's variable is presented (cl, g, etc.). Any advice on what to do?

I'm beginning to think I should scratch my whole multi-tiered navigation and just move to a single includes system...:queasy:

[bretticus]

lilwingman;10878346 wrote:

Also, for all the other default pages, if I direct the browser to any of them, like index.php?pa= for example, the toys index page still comes up, and I get an error at the top of the screen like I was getting earlier.

That's because, in your first code, if you didn't have $GET variables for everything, your code instructs PHP to include files that do not exist. Even with your if statements you are making sure that PHP always includes something (whether needed or not.) Why not put your include statements within your if blocks. While, you're at it, you better check to make sure the file exists or you will just get more errors, since you are allowing the file path to be injected into your code. here's an example:

if(isset($_GET['pa'])){
	if ( file_exists('content/'.$_GET['pa'].'.php') )
		include('content/'.$_GET['pa'].'.php');
}

Finally, you are asking for your site to be hacked! You should NEVER allow remote variables to be passed into include statements. This article explains why and how you can prevent it.

[bpat1434]

Here's where I'd create a mini "function" to do teh loading for me:

function loadInclude($file, $default, $dir='content/')
{
    // Dir should have a trailing "/"
    if(substr($dir, -1) != '/') $dir .= '/';

if(empty($file) || !$file) $file = $default;
if(!file_exists($dir . $file . '.php')) $file = $default;

include($dir . $file . '.php');
}

loadInclude($id, 'news/news');
loadInclude($_GET['b'], 'index', 'products/books/');
loadInclude($_GET['cl'], 'index', 'products/clothing/');
loadInclude($_GET['co'], 'index', 'products/collectibles/');
loadInclude($_GET['g'], 'index', 'products/games/');
loadInclude($_GET['mi'], 'index', 'products/misc/');
loadInclude($_GET['m'], 'index', 'products/movies/');
loadInclude($_GET['p'], 'index', 'products/posters/');
loadInclude($_GET['t'], 'index', 'products/toys/');

Now, that serves two purposes: (1) You always know exactly how you're including files, and (2) you have but one place to make modifications to change how all your includes will work. Makes things much easier. Not to mention, that I've also added in the checks to make sure they're valid files and if not, revert to the default file names.

Also, do note that you can't have two $GET['cl'] items. Each array index must be unique. So $GET['cl'] is either clothing or collectibles, it can't be both. So I changed collectibles to 'co' instead of 'cl'.

[lilwingman]

Thanks for the help guys...

I've been trying to use the second point, so this is what I've got so far:

<?PHP

$default = include ('content/news/news.php'); 

function loadInclude($file, $default, $dir='content/')
{
    // Dir should have a trailing "/"
    if(substr($dir, -1) != '/') $dir .= '/';

if(empty($file) || !$file) $file = $default;
if(!file_exists($dir . $file . '.php')) $file = $default;

include($dir . $file . '.php');
}

loadInclude($_GET['pa'], 'news/news', 'content/');
loadInclude($_GET['b'], 'index', 'content/products/books/');
loadInclude($_GET['cl'], 'index', 'content/products/clothing/');
loadInclude($_GET['co'], 'index', 'content/products/collectibles/');
loadInclude($_GET['g'], 'index', 'content/products/games/');
loadInclude($_GET['mi'], 'index', 'content/products/misc/');
loadInclude($_GET['m'], 'index', 'content/products/movies/');
loadInclude($_GET['p'], 'index', 'content/products/posters/');
loadInclude($_GET['t'], 'index', 'content/products/toys/'); 

include('layout/before.php');
echo $page_Header;
include('layout/space.php');
echo $page_Text;
include('layout/after.php');

?>

The default page now loads error free (content/news/news.php), I just can't get any of the other pages to load (I've confirmed that they all exist). I had to change one thing, and added 'content/' to all the paths because I was getting the same file loading error at the top of the screen, and adding "content/" fixed the problem. I'm afraid that now the function might be looking for the pages in content/content/ though. Is that right? Could I remove the $dir from the entire function?

[bpat1434]

You don't want to remove the $dir parameter from the function. If you do, then you'll have to change how the function works, and it won't be as "simple" anymore.

Okay, so if $_GET['pa'] is empty it will load the default page perfectly fine, good. Now as for the non-inclusion of other files, let's do some debugging. Add ths line to the function just before the include() line:

echo 'Including: ' . $dir . $file . '.php<br />';

Then render the page again, and give us whatever that outputs. It should be something like:

Including: products/collectibles/index.php
Including: products/clothing/index.php
...

[lilwingman]

This appears at the top, no matter which variable I try loading (even I try to go directly to /index.php?b=index, for example).

Including: content/news/news.php
Including: content/products/books/index.php
Including: content/products/clothing/index.php
Including: content/products/collectibles/index.php
Including: content/products/games/index.php
Including: content/products/misc/index.php
Including: content/products/movies/index.php
Including: content/products/posters/index.php
Including: content/products/toys/index.php

Is the $default overriding everything else?

EDIT:
This only works with pa=, but if I include a specific pa= page, /index.php?pa=guide4, for example, than it says it is "Including: content/guide4.php" but the default news still shows up.

[bpat1434]

The default value set as the second parameter of the function call overrides the $GET value if and only if the $GET value is empty, false, or not a real file. This helps secure your code. It's not the only step, but it's one.

Is the folder "products" literally under "content" and is "content" inside the same folder this script is in? If not, then your paths are wrong.

[lilwingman]

This is the order of the directories for the page files:

Home directory/content/products/whatever/etc etc...

The home directory has my index.php script, a form script, an image viewer script, and a few CSS files. Everything else is in a sub-directory - for this particular problem, it is all in the /content/ directory.

[bpat1434]

According to that information, everything is working as expected. Is it possible your includes have something wrong with them? Is it possible that there are errors in the error log you're not seeing?

[lilwingman]

The error log doesn't show anything out of the ordinary.

This again is the original code:

<?PHP

if (!isset($_GET['b'])){
	$booksNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$booksNumber=$_GET['b'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['cl'])){
	$clothingNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$clothingNumber=$_GET['cl'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['c'])){
	$collectiblesNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$collectiblesNumber=$_GET['c'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['g'])){
	$gamesNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$gamesNumber=$_GET['g'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['mi'])){
	$miscNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$miscNumber=$_GET['mi'];
}
if(!isset($_GET['m'])){
	$moviesNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$moviesNumber=$_GET['m'];
}
if(!isset($_GET['p'])){
	$postersNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$postersNumber=$_GET['p'];
}
if (!isset($_GET['t'])){
	$toysNumber = "index"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$toysNumber=$_GET['t'];
}
if(!isset($_GET['pa'])){
	$pageName = "news/news"; //set it to a default
}
else{
	$pageName=$_GET['pa'];
}
$default = "content/news/news.php"; 
if(!isset($id)){
	$id = $default;
}
/* some more if else statements need to be made */
include ("$id");
include('content/'.$pageName.'.php');
include('products/books/'.$booksNumber.'.php');
include('products/clothing/'.$clothingNumber.'.php');
include('products/collectibles/'.$collectiblesNumber.'.php');
include('products/games/'.$gamesNumber.'.php');
include('products/misc/'.$miscNumber.'.php');
include('products/movies/'.$moviesNumber.'.php');
include('products/posters/'.$postersNumber.'.php');
include('products/toys/'.$toysNumber.'.php');
include('layout/before.php');
echo $page_Header;
include('layout/space.php');
echo $page_Text;
include('layout/after.php');

?>

and for the most part the includes worked fine here. All the pa= pages would load, I just got a whole bunch of errors because my paths were wrong to the other indexes. But when I added content/ before all the includes to make the paths correct, the errors would disappear, but then the toys index page would be the only one that loads, no matter where I sent the browser.

So for whatever reason, the includes work in that script, but not in the new function.

Should I work on editing my original script? Is it possible to combine the two? If I move the includes after the individual if statements, like Bretticus mentioned above, and direct else to the default, could it work? And if so, how would I do that? - the theory of it is easier to come up with than the actual code lol.

Trying to learn PHP makes me want to rip out my hair.

[bpat1434]

You know what i just thought of? What do your include pages look like? Can you give us an example of say books/index.php? I think I know the issue, but want to make sure.

If you can reach it, you can view a demo of my exact code that I have pretty-much posted above and it works. I think the problem is with your includes, not the code 😉

Demo

[lilwingman]

Here's an example, just a placeholder page until I get content going, but you get the picture:

It's the games index page...

<?PHP
$page_Header = 'Product Database: Games';
$page_Text = '

<div class="main-content-font">
Content Goes Here
</div>

';
?>

I still don't understand why all this stuff worked on my home computer, but is a massive failure when uploaded to my host. Are the PHP/Apache settings different?

[bpat1434]

Heh guess what? I was right 😉

Okay, if all the includes are like that, then your problem is variable overwriting. As each item gets included, the variable $page_Text and $page_Header get overwritten. So while content/products/books/index.php may define $page_Text as being something, content/products/movies/index.php overwrites it to be something different.

This gives the illusion that the includes aren't work when in fact they are.

To solve this you have three options:

1. Change all the $page_Header and $page_Text to be addenda (i.e. .= not = )

2. Change $page_Header and $page_Text to be arrays, and just use [man]implode/man to echo them out in order of inclusion. E.g.

   $page_Header[] = 'Product Database: Games';
   $page_Text[] = 'Some text about games';
   
   // Then in the main file:
   echo implode('', $page_Text);

3. Directly echo the contents and include the files both in the order you want them, as well as the place you want them to be (like between layout/before.php and layout/after.php).

So your problem wasn't the includes themselves (and my function will work for what you want to do); instead, it was the fact that you weren't taking into account how the variables were populated within the includes.

[lilwingman]

I'll repeat my earlier sentiments: trying to learn PHP makes me want to rip out my hair lol.

Eventually I'm going to have a couple hundred pages or so loading through this function, so of the three you mentioned, what do you think is the best solution for my needs, and could you detail it a bit more (if possible)? The first one seemed the easiest, but all three of those options kinda flew over my head....

[bpat1434]

they're all easy. I would stay away from #3 just becuase if you start doing session stuff, then you don't want to echo directly, you might want to put it in a variable and echo it later, thus minimizing errors.

THe easiest would be to just use the addenda with the variables. Just open each of your include files and wherever you have $page_Header = or $page_Text = replace it with $page_Header .= and $page_Text .=

Then none of your other code has to change. You just have to remember that whatever order you include the files in is what order the data will be displayed in (unless you've got CSS which is positioning things absolutely which is a whole other ballgame).

At this point, the best thing to do is just add that period to the = sign in your include files. If you still don't understand, have a look here at the string operations manual page.

[lilwingman]

Not as easy as it sounds 😉

Added the period, but still haven't made any progress. I'm going to give you all the code that is being ran for one particular page, and perhaps you'll be able to tell me what's wrong. Sorry this is taking so long dude.

Here's the index page with the function that you made (with 2 modifications by me), and the code that's actually doing the includes/echo:

<?PHP

function loadInclude($file, $default, $dir='content/')
{
    if(substr($dir, -1) != '/') $dir .= '/';

if(empty($file) || !$file) $file = $default;
if(!file_exists($dir . $file . '.php')) $file = $default;

echo 'Including: ' . $dir . $file . '.php<br />';

include($dir . $file . '.php');
}

loadInclude($_GET['pa'], 'news/news', 'content/'); //I added this bit
loadInclude($_GET['b'], 'index', 'content/products/books/');
loadInclude($_GET['cl'], 'index', 'content/products/clothing/');
loadInclude($_GET['co'], 'index', 'content/products/collectibles/');
loadInclude($_GET['g'], 'index', 'content/products/games/');
loadInclude($_GET['mi'], 'index', 'content/products/misc/');
loadInclude($_GET['m'], 'index', 'content/products/movies/');
loadInclude($_GET['p'], 'index', 'content/products/posters/');
loadInclude($_GET['t'], 'index', 'content/products/toys/'); 

$default = include ('content/news/news.php'); //I added this bit

//This is where all the includes/echos are happening
include('layout/before.php');
echo $page_Header;
include('layout/space.php');
echo $page_Text;
include('layout/after.php');

?>

Here's a short example page: (index.php?pa=chat)

<?PHP
$page_Header .= 'Online Chat';
$page_Text .= '

<div class="main-content-font">
Sort out IRC after site is uploaded.
</div>

';
?>

When I view that page, I've checked my error log and I get no errors, and I get this at the top:

Including: content/chat.php
Including: content/products/books/index.php
Including: content/products/clothing/index.php
Including: content/products/collectibles/index.php
Including: content/products/games/index.php
Including: content/products/misc/index.php
Including: content/products/movies/index.php
Including: content/products/posters/index.php
Including: content/products/toys/index.php

So it looks like it is calling in the right file, but for some reason none of the echos work. Every single page just echos the $default news/news text.

[bpat1434]

It could be that the function is including the files inside that scope. So in your index.php page, add this at the top:

<?PHP

$page_Header='';
$page_Text='';

Then as the first line inside the function add this:

    global $page_Header, $page_Text;

So your index should start like:

<?PHP

$page_Header = $page_Text = ''; // Set these to empty strings first

function loadInclude($file, $default, $dir='content/')
{
    global $page_Header, $page_Text; // pull them in from the main script's scope

if(substr($dir, -1) != '/') $dir .= '/';

if(empty($file) || !$file) $file = $default;
if(!file_exists($dir . $file . '.php')) $file = $default;

echo 'Including: ' . $dir . $file . '.php<br />';

include($dir . $file . '.php');
} 

// Continue on....

[lilwingman]

Hmm, well it is echoing the right page's variables now... it's just also echoing all the other ones as well (books/index.php, clothing/index.php, etc.). So there's 9 headers and 9 pieces of content being echoed in - and no matter which link I click, they're displayed on the page in the order that the function is calling them:

Including: content/news/news.php
Including: content/products/books/index.php
Including: content/products/clothing/index.php
Including: content/products/collectibles/index.php
Including: content/products/games/index.php
Including: content/products/misc/index.php
Including: content/products/movies/index.php
Including: content/products/posters/index.php
Including: content/products/toys/index.php

So if I click the Toys link in my nav, it still appears last on the page.

Is it possible to make the function only include the file whose being called for in the url? For example, if b=anything, only echo files from the content/products/books directory?

Want me to send you a link to the site so you can have an idea of what we're talking about each time I make changes?

[bpat1434]

Yes. A simple if() statement around each loadInclude() would suffice:

if(isset($_GET['b']))
    loadInclude($_GET['b'], 'index', 'content/products/books');

if(isset($_GET['c']))
    loadInclude($_GET['c'], 'index', 'content/products/collectibles');

// etc., etc., etc.

[lilwingman]

Wow, nearly there!

All the page variables load perfectly, except the default page has stopped working. I tried to add an else statement to each loadIncludes, so if there was no variable it would load the default, but that mustn't be right, or I wrote it wrong, cause the page went nuts.

This is what I tried:

else(isset($_GET['pa']))
      Include $default;

Currently, $default is:

$default = 'content/news/news.php';

Should I have tried echoing $default's contents, rather than including them?