PHP include path: what am I doing wrong?

Question

OK I'm quite sure this is the easiest question someone out there will ever answer.

I try to get and echo the contents of a file in the same level:

die(file_get_contents('test.txt')); //"hello"

Works fine. I try to invalidate that call by setting a bad include path:

set_include_path('non-existant-dir');
die(file_get_contents('test.txt')); //still "hello"

...but it still finds the file. Shouldn't set_include_path mean the call to file_get_contents looks for test.txt in a dir called non-existant-dir, and thus fail?

It's very well possible that you've set up your include path in your Apache config file (or .htaccess). This will override set_include_path(). Comment out any "php_value include_path" type lines in your Apache conf file, and you should be able to set it now in your php code. — icecub
– icecub, Commented Jul 28, 2015 at 11:05

Professor Abronsius · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-28 11:07:49Z

3

The function "file_get_contents" can take several arguments - one of which is a combination of flags where one such flag is "FILE_USE_INCLUDE_PATH" - by default I don't think it will use the include path so it makes no difference what you set the include path to. Try:

set_include_path('non-existant-dir');
die( file_get_contents('test.txt', FILE_USE_INCLUDE_PATH) );

edited Jul 28, 2015 at 11:07

answered Jul 28, 2015 at 11:02

Professor Abronsius

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2 Comments

Mitya Over a year ago

Tried but still seems to find the file!

Professor Abronsius Over a year ago

Initially I had the "FILE_USE_INCLUDE_PATH" in the wrong place - but I notice that if the file is in the same directory as the script running this code it finds the file regardless. I believe that is due, as @Mihai notes, the default values in php.ini. For example, on Windows the include path might be include_path=".;c:\php\includes" so it looks first at '.' - current directory!

Mihai · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-28 11:06:00Z

1

In your php.ini config look for include_path which overrides the set_include_path function and commment it out then restart apache.

answered Jul 28, 2015 at 11:06

Mihai

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1 Comment

Mitya Over a year ago

Thanks. One wonders what the point of set_include_path() is, then!

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