How do I set an absolute include path in PHP?

Question

In HTML, I can find a file starting from the web server's root folder by beginning the filepath with "/". Like:

/images/some_image.jpg

I can put that path in any file in any subdirectory, and it will point to the right image.

With PHP, I tried something similar:

include("/includes/header.php");

...but that doesn't work.

I think that that this page is saying that I can set include_path once and after that, it will be assumed. But I don't quite get the syntax. Both examples start with a period, and it says:

Using a . in the include path allows for relative includes as it means the current directory.

Relative includes are exactly what I don't want.

How do I make sure that all my includes point to the root/includes folder? (Bonus: what if I want to place that folder outside the public directory?)

Clarification

My development files are currently being served by XAMPP/Apache. Does that affect the absolute path? (I'm not sure yet what the production server will be.)

Update

I don't know what my problem was here. The include_path thing I referenced above was exactly what I was looking for, and the syntax isn't really confusing. I just tried it and it works great.

One thing that occurs to me is that some people may have thought that "/some/path" was an "absolute path" because they assumed the OS was Linux. This server is Windows, so an absolute path would have to start with the drive name.

Anyway, problem solved! :)

Answer 1

What I do is put a config.php file in my root directory. This file is included by all PHP files in my project. In that config.php file, I then do the following;

define( 'ROOT_DIR', dirname(__FILE__) );

Then in all files, I know what the root of my project is and can do stuff like this

require_once( ROOT_DIR.'/include/functions.php' );

Sorry, no bonus points for getting outside of the public directory ;) This also has the unfortunate side affect that you still need a relative path for finding config.php, but it makes the rest of your includes much easier.

Answer 2

The include_path setting works like $PATH in unix (there is a similar setting in Windows too).It contains multiple directory names, seperated by colons (:). When you include or require a file, these directories are searched in order, until a match is found or all directories are searched.

So, to make sure that your application always includes from your path if the file exists there, simply put your include dir first in the list of directories.

ini_set("include_path", "/your_include_path:".ini_get("include_path"));

This way, your include directory is searched first, and then the original search path (by default the current directory, and then PEAR). If you have no problem modifying include_path, then this is the solution for you.

Answer 3

Not directly answering your question but something to remember:

When using includes with allow_url_include on in your ini beware that, when accessing sessions from included files, if from a script you include one file using an absolute file reference and then include a second file from on your local server using a url file reference that they have different variable scope and the same session will not be seen from both included files. The original session won't be seen from the url included file.

from: http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.include.php#84052

Answer 4

There is nothing in include/require that prohibits you from using absolute an path. so your example

include('/includes/header.php');

should work just fine. Assuming the path and file are corect and have the correct permissions set.
(and thereby allow you to include whatever file you like, in- or outside your document root)

This behaviour is however considered to be a possible security risk. Therefore, the system administrator can set the open_basedir directive.

This directive configures where you can include/require your files from and it might just be your problem.
Some control panels (plesk for example) set this directive to be the same as the document root by default.

as for the '.' syntax:

/home/username/public_html <- absolute path  
public_html <- relative path  
./public_html <- same as the path above  
../username/public_html <- another relative path  

Answer 5

hey all...i had a similar problem with my cms system. i needed a hard path for some security aspects. think the best way is like rob wrote. for quick an dirty coding think this works also..:-)

<?php
$path   = getcwd(); 
$myfile = "/test.inc.php";

/*

getcwd () points to: /usr/srv/apache/htdocs/myworkingdir (as example)

echo ($path.$myfile);
would return...

/usr/srv/apache/htdocs/myworkingdir/test.inc.php

access outside your working directory is not allowed.
*/


includ_once ($path.$myfile);

//some code

?>

nice day strtok

Answer 6

One strategy

I don't know if this is the best way, but it has worked for me.

$root = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];
include($root."/path/to/file.php");

Answer 7

I have tested and it does nto work include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']."/en-GB/add/add_info1_1_si.php");

Do you have any idea why not?

Answer 8

I follow Wordpress's example on this one. I go and define a root path, normally the document root, and then go define a bunch of other path's along with that (one for each of my class dirs. IE: database, users, html, etc). Often I will define the root path manually instead of relying on a server variable.

Example

if($_SERVER['SERVERNAME'] == "localhost")
{
    define("ABS_PATH", "/path/to/upper/most/directory"); // Manual
}
else
{
    define("ABS_PATH, dirname(__FILE__));
    // This defines the path as the directory of the containing file, normally a config.php
}

// define other paths...

include(ABS_PATH."/mystuff.php");

Answer 9

Thanks - this is one of 2 links that com up if you google for php apache windows absolute path.

As a newbie to intermed PHP developer I didnt understand why absolute paths on apache windopws systems would be c:\xampp\htdocs (apache document root - XAMPP default) instead of /

thus if in http//localhost/myapp/subfolder1/subfolder2/myfile.php I wanted to include a file from http//localhost/myapp

I would need to specify it as: include("c:\xampp\htdocs\myapp\includeme.php") or include("../../includeme.php")

AND NOT include("/myapp/includeme.php")