How to include config.php efficiently?

Question 1

I'm always interested in more efficient ways and learning new things. Right now, I am using the code <?php include('config.php'); ?> in each and every file. Depending on where the file is in my the folder structure, I would have <?php include('../config.php'); ?> or even <?php include('../../config.php'); ?>. How can I make it more efficient? Is there a way to just have it my config.php in root and make everything in root require config.php?

Question 2

there is a way to include a file automatically (auto_prepend_file ini setting), however the biggest improvement you can make is to abandon the usage of multiple php files and use index.php as a single entry point for the whole website.

suppose you write a SO clone ;) with the pages "questions", "tags", "users", etc. On each page you need some generic php stuff (db, session) + common html elements (header, footer). A popular approach is to have a bunch of php files (questions.php, tags.php, users.php) each of them includes the common stuff. For example, users.php will look like this then

include 'db.php';
include 'session.php';
include 'html.header.php';
.....users-specific stuff 
include 'html.footer.php';

This is quite tedious (you have to repeat lots of code) and inflexible (think adding a sidebar to all pages on the site). My suggestion is to make includes "inside out" that is, have a "common stuff" file that includes page-specific code:

 # index.php
 db functions
 session functions
 html header

 $page = isset($_GET['page']) 
   ? preg_replace("/W+/", "", $_GET['page'])
   : "home";
 include "$page.php";

 html footer

Thus you'll have a single entry point on the website - this is more flexible and better for debugging. The only drawback is that urls are less "nice" (user.php vs index.php?page=user), but this can be easily solved with mod_rewrite

Question 3

Here's what worked best for me when trying to script this (in case anyone else comes across this like I did):

$ pecl -d php_suffix=5.6 install <package>
$ pecl uninstall -r <package>

$ pecl -d php_suffix=7.0 install <package>
$ pecl uninstall -r <package>

$ pecl -d php_suffix=7.1 install <package>
$ pecl uninstall -r <package>

The -d php_suffix=<version> piece allows you to set config values at run time vs pre-setting them with pecl config-set. The uninstall -r bit does not actually uninstall it (from the docs):

vagrant@homestead:~$ pecl help uninstall
pecl uninstall [options] [channel/]<package> ...
Uninstalls one or more PEAR packages.  More than one package may be
specified at once.  Prefix with channel name to uninstall from a
channel not in your default channel (pecl.php.net)

Options:
  ...
  -r, --register-only
        do not remove files, only register the packages as not installed
  ...

The uninstall line is necessary otherwise installing it will remove any previously installed version, even if it was for a different PHP version (ex: Installing an extension for PHP 7.0 would remove the 5.6 version if the package was still registered as installed).

Question 4

Actually found a solution. Android Studio does not autocomplete constraintLayout parameters in an include tag but they do have an impact on it as long as you give that include a size.

<include
        layout="@layout/tmp_2"
        android:layout_width="0dp"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@+id/label_2"
        />

Question 5

Use the -I compiler option to point to the 3rd party libraries directory (-I/usr/local/include/ohNet)
Use #include "[whatever you need from oHNet].h" in your header files and compilation units as needed (Note: you might need to put relative prefix pathes for subdirecories in the 3rd party include paths tree here!)
Use the -L linker option to specify a path to the 3rd party libs you need (-L/usr/local/lib probably)
Use the -l linker option to specify any concrete 3rd libs you need (-l[oHNet] probably)

Look in the directories what actually was installed there to figure what to place for [whatever you need from oHNet].h and [oHNet], s.th. like liboHNet.a for the latter.

You didn't tag [tag:Eclipse CDT] explicitly here, but go to the Project->Properties->C++ Builder->Settings Dialog and look for C/C++ Includes and Linker Options.

Question 6

Never used any of those, but they look interesting..

Take a look at Gearman as well.. more overhead in systems like these but you get other cool stuff :) Guess it depends on your needs ..

How to include config.php efficiently?

Answers

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