How to preserve path structure with PHP include?

Question

I have a toolbarMenu.php that uses css in a css directory ("css") from the root folder.

All of my other PHP forms are in a root folder, and planned to re-organize all my PHP form to be move to a new folder called "forms" exluding toolbarMenu.php

After I move my PHP form to sub-directory, I can call this toolbarMenu.php by using include ex:

<?php include("../toolbar-top.php"); ?>

However, the CSS path broke because it's trying to look for the css folder inside the forms folder. I don't want to change the css path from my toolbarMenu.php to "../css/file.css" because I'm also using this php page with the website's root pages.

Is there a way to preserve the toolbarMenu.php's css path when it's being called from a PHP form from another sub-directory?

From Root folder:

Toolbar Menu path: "toolbarMenu.php"

CSS path: "css/cssFile.css"

PHP form calling the ToolbarMenu: "forms/form.php"

I hope I made my question clear :)

Thanks!

so the references to the css in toolbarMenu.php are broken because he is trying to access them from folder <forms>? — Sherif elKhatib
– Sherif elKhatib, Commented Aug 1, 2011 at 6:23
yes.. from my toolbarMenu.php.. the css path is "css/cssFile.css" since toolbarMenu.php is being called from another PHP form from a subdirectory "forms", that form is looking for "css/cssFile.css" but if I change it to "../css/cssFile.css" it works.. but I don't want to change it natively, because other page from the root directory uses it the toolbarMenu.php as well — Arnold Porche Villaluz
– Arnold Porche Villaluz, Commented Aug 1, 2011 at 6:27

Phil · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-01 06:40:13Z

4

You can either use an absolute path, eg

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/mySite/css/file.css">

or, if you want to keep it portable, set a dynamic <base> for relative paths. This way you can move your entire app to a sub-directory without breaking reference links, eg

<!-- in HEAD -->
<base href="http://localhost/mySite/">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/file.css">

edited Aug 1, 2011 at 6:40

answered Aug 1, 2011 at 6:30

Phil

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3 Comments

Arnold Porche Villaluz Over a year ago

i'm currently using localhost. how would I use localhost as my base? I tried <base href="localhost/mySite"> but it didn't work

Phil Over a year ago

@Arnold Don't forget the trailing slash. Try <base href="http://localhost/mySite/">. I've updated my answer to match your environment better

Arnold Porche Villaluz Over a year ago

this one works, adding the extra "/" at the end was the issue. thank so you much!

Tarek Fadel · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-01 06:37:55Z

1

You have multiple options to get the desired result:

You can define a prefix variable/constant at the top of every page which you then use in all your includes/urls/etc.
You can also use the <base> tag in your header pointing to the absolute URL to ../ so something like http://ys.cc/proj/ if your forms directory is http://ys.cc/proj/forms

edited Aug 1, 2011 at 6:37

answered Aug 1, 2011 at 6:32

Tarek Fadel

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Comments

Дамян Станчев · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-01 06:27:51Z

0

You can write your css file selector from:

css/file.css

to

/css/file.css

This will work in all folders.

answered Aug 1, 2011 at 6:27

Дамян Станчев

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2 Comments

Christian Over a year ago

@arnold-porche-villaluz The difference between those two is guaranteed behavior. If that didn't work, there's something wrong.

Phil Over a year ago

@Christian The OP confused us by saying the css directory was in the "root" directory. Looks like it's actually in a mySite sub-directory

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