PHP Eval that evaluates HTML & PHP

Question

I'm messing around with templating and I've run into a situation where I need to echo to the browser a template that contains html & php. How do I evaluate the PHP and send it to the browser?

So here's an example (main.php):

    <div id = "container">
        <div id="head">
            <?php if ($id > 10): ?>
                <H3>Greater than 10!</H3>
            <?php else: ?>
                <H3>Less than 10!</H3>
            <?php endif ?>
        </div>
            </div>

And then in the template.php:

   <?php
           $contents; // Contains main.php in string format
           echo eval($contents); // Doesn't work... How do I do this line??
   ?>

EDIT: My template also allows you to inject data from the controller Smarty-style. Would an output buffer allow me to do this and then evaluate my php. The ideal is that it does a first-pass through the code and evaluates all the tags in first, then runs the php. This way I can create loops and stuff from using data sent from my controller.

So maybe a more complete example: 
    <div id = "container">
            <div id = "title">{$title}</div> <!-- This adds data sent from a controller -->
            <div id="head">
                <?php if ($id > 10): ?>
                    <H3>Greater than 10!</H3>
                <?php else: ?>
                    <H3>Less than 10!</H3>
                <?php endif ?>
            </div>
    </div>

Thanks!

Josh · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-03 21:27:25Z

41

In case you are trying to do this with a string of mixed HTML/PHP (like from a database, as I was), you can do it this way:

eval(' ?>'.$htmlandphp.'<?php ');

More info: http://blog.5ubliminal.com/posts/eval-for-inline-php-inside-html/ (note this is a dead link as of 2014-3-3)

edited Mar 3, 2014 at 21:27

answered Jan 22, 2010 at 20:01

Josh

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1 Comment

SuibianP Over a year ago

web.archive.org/web/20090408191849/http://blog.5ubliminal.com/…

Josh Leitzel · Accepted Answer · 2009-08-21 03:47:21Z

18

Use output buffering instead. eval() is notoriously slow.

main.php:

<div id="container">
    <div id="title"><?php echo $title; ?></div><!-- you must use PHP tags so the buffer knows to parse it as such -->
    <div id="head">
        <?php if ($id > 10): ?>
            <H3>Greater than 10!</H3>
        <?php else: ?>
            <H3>Less than 10!</H3>
        <?php endif ?>
    </div>
</div>

Your file:

$title = 'Lorem Ipsum';
$id = 11;

ob_start();
require_once('main.php');
$contents = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();

echo $contents;

The output of this will be:

Lorem Ipsum

Greater than 10!

edited Aug 21, 2009 at 3:47

answered Aug 21, 2009 at 2:22

Josh Leitzel

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2 Comments

Josh Leitzel Over a year ago

Yes, you can use variables you've already declared in the template. You can't, however use {$title} like you did - this will just show that text literally. You have to tell the template that that's PHP. I've updated my answer to demonstrate.

Romeo Sierra Over a year ago

ob_start()... Wow! Everyday something new! I love StackOverlow! I loooove php! Such a powerful language...

Philippe Gerber · Accepted Answer · 2009-08-22 11:16:10Z

4

Do not read the file, but include it and use output bufferig to capture the outcome.

ob_start();
include 'main.php';
$content = ob_get_clean();

// process/modify/echo $content ...

Edit

Use a function to generate a new variable scope.

function render($script, array $vars = array())
{
    extract($vars);

    ob_start();
    include $script;
    return ob_get_clean();
}

$test = 'one';
echo render('foo.php', array('test' => 'two'));
echo $test; // is still 'one' ... render() has its own scope

edited Aug 22, 2009 at 11:16

answered Aug 21, 2009 at 2:24

Philippe Gerber

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3 Comments

Matt Over a year ago

Hmm.. how would I inject data then?

Matthew Scharley Over a year ago

Any number of ways. Do string replaces on $content, make globals available to main.php before including it, the list goes on and on.

Matt Over a year ago

I don't think thus would work.. Include would throw errorS before you got a chance to do string replaces.

a_fan · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-29 10:12:34Z

1

The best solution in your case is to combine eval and output buffer

// read template into $contents
// replace {title} etc. in $contents
$contents = str_replace("{title}", $title, $contents);
ob_start();
    eval(" ?>".$contents."<?php ");
$html .= ob_get_clean();
echo html;

edited Jun 29, 2013 at 10:12

answered Jun 29, 2013 at 9:28

a_fan

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Comments

Adam Berry · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-05 19:53:57Z

0

$contents = htmlentities($contents);
echo html_entity_decode(eval($contents));

answered Oct 5, 2012 at 19:53

Adam Berry

91 bronze badge

1 Comment

Mick MacCallum Over a year ago

To improve the quality of your answer, please include how/why your post will solve the problem.

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