PHP : Document root directory backslash problem

Question

I'm trying to link to a stylesheet in my header file using $_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"] as follows:

<head>
    <?php
        print "<link href='".$_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]."/include/style.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />";
    ?>
    <title>eLMS</title>

</head>

Since i'm testing locally, i'm getting the path as:

<head>
    <link href='C:\Users\wretrOvian\Documents\eLMS\site/include/style.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />      <title>eLMS</title>

</head>

And this is not rendering in Firefox. It does in IE however. This is obviously a validation issue. BUT, i tried the same code on a server - with the same results. :(

How do i go about fixing this? The end product may or may not run on a Local server, so i need the code to be flexible..

I'm using Abyss Webserver x1 with PHP 5.2.8

I must use absolute paths - because i do not want to copy the include folder to every subdirectory of the app. I need to be able to refer to it from every location.

Absolute path is relative :) You need an absolute path taking your webroot as base path, not your filesystem. /include is absolute. — Matteo Riva
– Matteo Riva, Commented Jan 6, 2010 at 19:26

Powerlord · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-06 19:15:09Z

9

Just use this:

<head>
    <link href='/include/style.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />
    <title>eLMS</title>
</head>

Or, if it is used locally:

<head>
    <link href='../include/style.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />
    <title>eLMS</title>
</head>

The document root is for internal usage (inside of PHP) only, not for in your HTML.

edited Jan 6, 2010 at 19:15

Powerlord

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answered Jan 6, 2010 at 19:12

Jimmy Shelter

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10 Comments

Powerlord Over a year ago

Note that 'include/style.css' is also a relative url to the subdirectory include from the current directory.

n a Over a year ago

I need to use absolute paths. This saves me the trouble of putting an 'include' folder in every subdirectory of the project, no?

Jimmy Shelter Over a year ago

You can go back a number of folders by adding more ../.. (The directory where you put your css includes MUST be available from the document root, you can't put it below it.

Powerlord Over a year ago

@wretrOvian: Technically, the first url is absolute. To clarify, the webserver's / uri is the file system's $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].

n a Over a year ago

@Bemrose: Agreed, but this is an isolated case. I highlight again that if i'm in a deep subdirectory - i will have to modify the code for every page - AND if my header links to the stylesheet - i'll have to use a custom header for every subdirectory.

|

danielrsmith · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-06 19:13:13Z

1

Try using:

$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']

answered Jan 6, 2010 at 19:13

danielrsmith

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Comments

Matteo Riva · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-06 19:27:15Z

1

Don't use a filesystem absolute path, use a path relative to (but not including) the document root. In this case just /include/style.css.

edited Jan 6, 2010 at 19:27

answered Jan 6, 2010 at 19:14

Matteo Riva

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Comments

Tor Valamo · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-06 19:12:52Z

0

For using local files from the browser, use the file scheme.

file://C:/dir/file.ext
file:///dir/file.ext

Not sure if you need two or three slashes, probably two on windows with the drive letter, three on *nix with the root slash, though I seem to recall seeing three slashes with the drive letter. Try it! :P

answered Jan 6, 2010 at 19:12

Tor Valamo

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Comments

MattBelanger · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-06 19:12:54Z

0

Try using the DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR constant. It returns \ on Windows systems and / on *nix systems.

answered Jan 6, 2010 at 19:12

MattBelanger

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Comments

Powerlord · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-06 19:13:31Z

0

First of all, the document root is literally the directory that the web server's / is located at. You do not usually want to use this with any content on the web. Use / instead.

answered Jan 6, 2010 at 19:13

Powerlord

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