Create folder outside public_html to upload files

Question

I creating script and I need to let users upload files (images) . and for security reasons I want to make file folder outside public_html .

But my problem is maybe my potential customers may have different folders structure in their servers.

So my question is : There is a way in php to go back one folder before public_html ?

Another possible case if my client put script file in directory like that public_html/demo/ , so in that case I need to go 2 folders back.

I try to use $_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"] but it give the public server directory.

any help or suggestion will be helpfull. thank you

Answer 1

If the php user has the permission to do so, you should be able to include/write files to a directory using a relative path for example:

include("../test.php");

Likewise if you had a directory which was writable by the php user you should be able to create files in that directory also using a relative path:

$ cat test1.php
<?php

    $file = fopen("../test.php", "w");
    fwrite($file,  "Hello World. Testing!\n");
    fclose($file);
    include("../test.php");


$ php test1.php
Hello World. Testing!