PHP Include - Host has uneditable php.ini file

[rspassey]

I'd like to use the PHP include(), but I am afraid that my hosts php.ini file does not contain the include_path option and I don't want to go editing the php.ini file as I am still learning my way through it and I don't want to mess it up too much.

I've read about using the

PHP Code:

ini_set('include_path', '.'); 


method as well, but this doesn't seem to work the way I have it set up. Is there something else I need to have as well?

I've got one more question. When including a file with include()... do I have to specify the server, or will it take the file straight from the directory of the current html document?

thanks,
Ryan

[blue60007]

Using

include("somefile.php");

doesn't work? I'm not sure about the ini file, but it'll take the file relative to the current file (no need to specify server).

Also you mention "html document". You're not trying to run php from a .html file are you?

[rspassey]

It's a .php file... which is what I think I'm supposed to use... but it still doesn't work like this:

PHP Code:

<? php
include('header.php');
?>

Bear with me here, I've barely started studying php .


EDIT: Now I'm getting this error : Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_INCLUDE in /home/content/r/p/a/rpassey/html/index4.php on line 2

[mairving]

You don't need to edit the php.ini file even if you could. All the include file directive tells php is the default location to look for your included file. As long as you tell it where the include file is it is not necessary to change the php.ini file.

You are getting the parse error because you have a space between the ? and php.
It should be <?php not <? php.

[rspassey]

Originally Posted by mairving You don't need to edit the php.ini file even if you could. All the include file directive tells php is the default location to look for your included file. As long as you tell it where the include file is it is not necessary to change the php.ini file. You are getting the parse error because you have a space between the ? and php. It should be <?php not <? php.

Thanks for the info!. It worked like a charm.

PHP seems to be a pretty picky language... I think I really should take a "class" on it.

Thanks again,
Ryan

Edit.. one last question: is there a prefered file type for included headers and footers and what not? I'm using .inc right now, because that's what my php book shows me, but I've seen a few online tutorials using .php for their header.

[mairving]

Originally Posted by rspassey Thanks for the info!. It worked like a charm. PHP seems to be a pretty picky language... I think I really should take a "class" on it. Thanks again, Ryan

No, it's not really picky. You can open a php command by <? or <?php . When you put the space between the php, it tried to parse your code and opening with the short version <? then it hit php. Well that wasn't a string and it wasn't a function so it spit out your parse error. FYI, it is a good idea to use <php .

[blue60007]

Originally Posted by rspassey PHP seems to be a pretty picky language... I think I really should take a "class" on it.

One thing I found handy while working with PHP (I'm still learning all there is to it still) is to test it on a local webserver (ie, use AppServ to set one up). Sure beats uploading the php file to your server to find you forgot a ; or something silly like that, and re-uploading again.

[rspassey]

Originally Posted by blue60007 One thing I found handy while working with PHP (I'm still learning all there is to it still) is to test it on a local webserver (ie, use AppServ to set one up). Sure beats uploading the php file to your server to find you forgot a ; or something silly like that, and re-uploading again.

Sound advice... thanks.

I've got another PC coming in my sea shipment, so when it gets here, I can set one of my linux boxes up as a test server.