PHP include doesn't work

Question

I'm not sure how simple is this to solve, but I assume I'm doing something wrong. I'm new to PHP, so bear with me, please.

When I started learning PHP, I always placed all my project files into the same folder along with index.php and thus included everything like this:

<?php
include('./translation.php');
?>

Later on in the process of learning as I gained experience and my skill increased, I had to start using folders and place my files into sub folders. I ended up successfully including my files with the following:

<?php
include('../translation.php');
?>

My trouble-free coding took an unexpected turn when I decided to start using sub-sub folders. After placing all the files even deeper into the file structure I was shocked to find out that I cannot include them anymore, using:

<?php
include('.../translation.php');
?>

Now I'm lost. What did I do wrong? Am I to understand that I cannot include files deeper than 2 directories in the project? Should I start using a different file system?

Answer 1

You got the concept incorrect.

• . represents current directory
• .. represents parent directory

These are the way a file system keeps in track of the file and browse depth.

But you cannot use ... to change the directory. As you go deeper, you have to use

For example:

include('../../translation.php');

includes the files, two level outside of current directory. Which is probably what you were trying to do.

Answer 2

The include should be:

<?php
include('../../translation.php');
?>

Each level 'up' needs its own ../ .

For example, if you had the following directories:

a
   a1
      filex.php
   a2
b
   b1
      filey.php

If in filex.php, you wanted to include filey.php, you would do the following:

<?php
include('../../b/b1/filey.php');
?>

Up/out twice, down/ib twice

Basically, any time you want to go 'down' a level / into a folder, you give the name of the folder followed by a forward slash. But to go 'up' or out of the current folder (to the parent folder of the current folder) you give .. followed by the forward slash

Answer 3

If you want to go deeper (subfolder of subfolder), just use ../../

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

However, if your project is middle size or big size, I'd rather suggest you to define absolute path. In your index.php or whatever your included file is, define something like SITE_ROOT or INCLUDES_ROOT .

define("SITE_ROOT", dirname(__FILE__));

and then just use it on demand.

include(SITE_ROOT."/../../translation.php");

which is pretty useful in case you are including files from different folders

That said, imagine you have this folder structure

• ROOT
  • includes/
    • boot.php
  • translations
    • en.php
  • ajax/
    
    • ajax2/
      • ajaxfile.php
  • index.php

---

CASE1: (fails)

index.php includes

<?php
include("includes/boot.php");

ajax/ajax2/ajaxfile.php includes

<?php
include("../../includes/boot.php");

includes/boot.php includes

<?php 
include("translations/en.php"); // from index.php it works but from ajax/ajax2/ajaxfile.php it searches for wrong file

CASE2: (passes)

ajax/ajax2/ajaxfile.php and index.php has the same content as the CASE1

includes/boot.php includes

<?php
define("INCLUDES_ROOT", dirname(__FILE__));
include(INCLUDES_ROOT."/../translations/en.php");

which passes, because INCLUDES_ROOT makes sure that the whole include point to the correct directory!

Answer 4

Let's assume this tree of folders.

-> site
      -> public_html (Inside the site folder)
            ->  index.php (Inside the public_html folder)
      -> translation.php (Inside the site folder)

in your index.php you just have to use include "../translation.php";

if the translation.php is in the same folder as the site folder, you use include "../../translation.php";

if your translation.php is in the same folder as the index.php though, you just have to include like this: include "translation.php";