Php include, index.php and CSS file problems

Question

Hello guys can anyone tell me how this code works:

<?php 
   $path = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];
   $path .= "pages/include/headertop.php";
   include_once($path);
?>

Someone recommended this to me. Since I have trouble with my include files when I transferred it inside the sub-folder/directories:

pages/include/headertop.php

Another problem is that the CSS linked to the include files don't work with the index.php file since I've transferred the include file to the sub-folders.

These codes below works half-way actually. Problem is that the CSS is not working with it. And if I relink the CSS for the index.php file, the files left in the subfolders gets messed up because of the redirected links.

<?php
include ("pages/include/headertop.php");
include ("pages/include/header.php"); 
include ("pages/include/nav.php");
?>

By the way, my index.php file is in the root directory/main folder.

Thanks guys! I really need your help.

Answer 1

I think $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] returns no slash add the end. So your $path is missing a trailing slash.

Maybe this works?

$path .= "/pages/include/headertop.php";

Answer 2

$_SERVER is an array containing information such as headers, paths, and script locations. it defines the path to a file
and
'DOCUMENT_ROOT' The document root directory under which the current script is executing, as defined in the server's configuration file. detail here
after that you have added the path to your folder

$path .= "pages/include/headertop.php";

and at the end include_once is added to eliminate duplication of included file.