Execute one PHP file from within another - without modifying paths

Question

I have two PHP files (NOT in the same directory) and one properties file, like so:

a.php
-----
<?php
echo "one";
include("/path/to/b.php");
echo "three";

and

b.php
-----
<?php
$num = file_get_content("b.properties");
echo $num;

where b.properties has two in it.

Since a.php and b.php are not in the same folder, the include in a.php causes the properties file not to load properly.

How do I go about fixing this? Note that I cannot modify b.php or b.properties or obviously this would be a trivial question.

Can you a.php to the same folder as b.php? I'm not sure if I understand well what your problem is. When you write a question about an error, always include details of the error. Add error reporting to the top of your file(s) right after your opening PHP tag for example <?php error_reporting(E_ALL); ini_set('display_errors', 1); then the rest of your code, to see if it yields anything. — Pedro Lobito
– Pedro Lobito, Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 0:29
You can't do what you want without modifying the path specified in file_get_contents in b.php. This is the problem with using relative paths. The arbitrary constraints you're creating around this problem lead me to believe that it's contrived and most likely an X/Y Problem which aren't very welcome on StackOverflow. — Sherif
– Sherif, Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 0:55
You could add the directory of b.php to the php include directive. Then the path wouldn't matter so much, although I don't understand why you can't edit the path... php.net/manual/en/function.set-include-path.php — Chris
– Chris, Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 1:22
a.php is a web-served page, while b.php is not in the webroot and needs to stay that way. The only way it can be hit is if a.php calls it. — Bing
– Bing, Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 2:01
Not in the web root but is the path relative to the web root consistent? Try using $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . "../path/to/b.properties"); — user5051310
– user5051310, Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 3:33

Song Jia · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-23 05:19:51Z

2

PHP provides function chdir for changing PHP's curernt directory. I think you can change PHP's current directory to the folder of b.php just before include b.php and set it back after include.

a.php
-----
<?php
echo "one";
chdir('/path/to');
include("b.php");
chdir(__DIR__);
echo "three";

answered Oct 23, 2015 at 5:19

Song Jia

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