PHP specifying a fixed include source for scripts in different directories

Question

I am currently doing unit testing, and use folders to organize my test cases. All cases pertaining to managing of user accounts, for example, go under \tests\accounts. Over time, there are more test cases, and I begin to seperate the cases by types, such as \tests\accounts\create, \tests\account\update and etc.

However, one annoying problem is I have to specify the path to a set of common includes. I have to use includes like this:

include_once ("../../../../autoload.php");
include_once ("../../../../init.php");

A test case in tests\accounts\ would require change to the include (one less directory level down). Is there anyway to have them somehow locating my two common includes? I understand I could set include paths within my PHP's configurations, or use server environment variables, but I would like to avoid such solutions as they make the application less portable and coupled with another layer which the programmer can't control (some web-host doesn't allow configuration of PHP's configuration settings, for example)

Answer 1

Hi, you could try using "include_path" in php.ini or use the function set_include_path in php http://php.net/manual/en/function.set-include-path.php

set_include_path('/home/www/...');

or

set_include_path('../../../');

also, you make a constant in a global file, then

define('DIR_PATH', '../../');
include_once(DIR_PATH . 'file');

because the "set_include_path" isnt so efficient.

Hope I helped

Answer 2

why not just defining a variable

$includePath = "/unittests/include/";

and then

include_once ($includePath."something.php");

Answer 3

because the files are placed at different directory levels, the relative path will also vary from file to file

that's why absolute path always considered better.

include $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']."/../config/init.php";

is enough most of time