PHP Includes - UK Web Hosting | Dedicated Server Windows and Linux VPS Forum

**shaine** · #1 (**permalink**) 22-01-2008, 23:50

» Step One
If you use php includes, you can easily change things on your site. And its more neatier and easy to install. Keep reading! First, you will need a text editor(eg. notepad, dreamweaver or frontpage) and a html knowledge.

All of your files must be saved as .php extension. Or else it won't work. Now, you must create two files. We gonna call the first file, MAIN and the second file INCLUDE. Put this code below anywhere into your MAIN file(eg.index.php / your index page):

Code:

<?php include("include.php"); ?>

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» Step Two
Now, where into the INCLUDE.php file. On this file, you can put things what you like(eg. links, affiliate section, update section etc.).
Then after that, you need to upload the files.

If you're going to add / edit something you don't need to edit the index file, only the include.php file. All the codes you put into the include.php will show up into your index page / whatever you call it.

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Please reply to this thread if you need help.

*also please let me know if this thread is not allowed to be post.

~ Posted on 23/01/2008

Rock · #2 (**permalink**) 23-01-2008, 03:11

Very nice tutorial for PHP newbies

They'd be thankful to you for sure

Keep up the Good Work !

**mephisto** · #3 (**permalink**) 24-01-2008, 16:36

include has another feature, you can assign the return value of the script to a variable. So if you wanted to build up a webpage you can do this with includes.

PHP Code:


			
<?php

    /**

     * file: header.php

     */

    

    $external = include('external.php');    

    return "<html><head><title>$title</title>$external</head><body>\n";

?>



<?php

    /**

     * file: external.php

     */

    $output = '';

    if($scripts && is_array($scripts)) {

        foreach($scripts as $script) {

            $output .= "<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"$script\"></script>\n";

        }

    }

    if($styles && is_array($styles)) {

        $output .= "<style type=\"text/css\">";

        foreach($styles as $style) {

            $output .= "@include $style;\n";

        }

    }

    return $output;

?>



<?php

    /**

     * file: footer.php

     */

    return "<div id=\"footer\">goodbye world</div></body></html>";

?>



<?php

    /**

     * file: index.php

     */

    

    $scripts = array(

        'script1.js',

        'script2.js'

    );

    

    $styles = array(

        'style1.css',

        'style2.css'

    );

    

    $title = "include example";

    

    $page = include('header.php');

    $page .= 'hello world';

    $page .= include('footer.php');

    

    echo $page;

?>

This example allows the title, javascript files and stylesheets to be assigned to variables before the includes and then they are all put into a single string before printing them to browser.

There is also a function require, which generally performs better because the require function only looks at the code once it is used, whereas include looks at the code straight away. The other difference between the 2 is that require will raise a fatal error if the file is missing, whereas include will only raise a warning.

Both include and require have similar functions, include_once and require_once. They their names suggest, they will only be referenced once in the code, the best use is when you have modular code which has multiple dependencies, because then php won't try to redeclare your functions or classes.