[RESOLVED] Storing global variables

jemq

I would like to make a config.php file with certain variables that are site global.

Such as

$database_host
$database_username
$database_password
$business_name

This way, the user can modify these settings to allow site wide changes in a single file. Much like CSS.

Now, the questions.

Is this a wise and secure way of doing this?
Does anyone have any better ideas?
How do I assign them as global?

I have tried and it works for files accessed using an include but not files outside the include range.

<?php 

include ('variables.php')
echo('Host - '.$database_host);
include ('control/cp.php');

?>

Works fine at displaying $database_host.
But if I put the following code in cp.php

<?php 

echo('Host - '.$database_host);

?>

it display

Host =

Is there a way to define site global variables that can be accessed from any file within the site.

Thanks in advance

Quentin

anakadote

You'll have to include the config file on every page. There's a pretty simple was to do this using .htaccess if you don't want to do it manually. Just remember you'll need to use the 'global' identifier when referencing those variables within a custom function.

bradgrafelman

jemq;10946165 wrote:
Is this a wise and secure way of doing this?

It's not uncommon. If at all possible, I would advise you to at least store this config file outside the root of your website.

jemq;10946165 wrote:
How do I assign them as global?

You don't - they're already in the global scope if you just write something like:

<?php
$var = 'foo';
?>

jemq;10946165 wrote:
I have tried and it works for files accessed using an include but not files outside the include range.

In your example, did you view cp.php directly? If so, it would of course make sense that you can't access the variables you defined since cp.php didn't include/require() them.

Also note that another method of defining such data would be to use a constant. The benefit of using a constant (e.g. via [man]define/man) is that a) you can't accidentally overwrite the value by using the same variable name, and b) constants are available in all variable scopes, so there's no need for the [man]global[/man] keyword inside of functions/classes/etc.

jemq

OK, I have been messing and this is what I have found.
First -

include 'filename.php' sometimes works and sometimes does not
virtual ('filename.php') alqays works

I think this may be my server configuration and not such a major problem.

Secondly

I have a database that contains all the variable information I need to use.
my first file (config.php) called from index.php loads all the variables from the table to define() statements.

If I call this using include_once() and then address all my pages from index.php do I still need to use the include in ALL the files or will the initial include from index.php make the variables global.

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks

Quentin

bradgrafelman

jemq wrote:
include 'filename.php' sometimes works and sometimes does not
virtual ('filename.php') alqays works

That seems rather odd. I'll admit, I didn't even know what the [man]virtual/man function did until I looked it up the manual.

jemq wrote:
do I still need to use the include in ALL the files or will the initial include from index.php make the variables global.

Files included via [man]include/man/[man]require/man share the same global variable space, so if one script modifies variables in the global scope then those variables will be accessible by all other included files.

anakadote

If I call this using include_once() and then address all my pages from index.php do I still need to use the include in ALL the files or will the initial include from index.php make the variables global.

I think he means from page to page, in which case, yes, the variables need to be defined on every page, but only once, whether it be in an included file or not.

jemq

Thanks,

All sorted and working now...