A Guide To The Include Command For PHP
August 9, 2008
Saving time on a web design project is going to do two things. First, it is going to make for a happier client since the job is completed faster. Second, the web designer saves time and maximizes their earnings per hour as a result. One of these time-saving measures we use is the include construct.
There is a common controversy as to whether or not a PHP include is a function. For the doubters out there, we can confirm that the include statement is indeed not a function, but rather a language construct native to the PHP web development platform. This is because it is an internabl component- not just an ordinary function.
The PHP include is going to save us time by allowing us to edit multiple files through a single file. If we had a navigation bar that needed changed, we would normally have to go to every page and change it if we were using HTML. But with PHP we can just reference a remote file, and dynamically change each and every page.
Many use the PHP include simply to get better organization- as if commenting one’s code wasn’t enough. PHP includes allow one to cut down many lines of code, but the application won’t be any faster as a result. The contents of the remote file are still being read into the current application upon execution. Just because the code isn’t there doesn’t mean it isn’t processed.
Another good function of the PHP include is to keep things in working order. If an include fails, we are going to get a visible error message. Now this isn’t always a good thing, since some error messages will expose confidential information about the running script. In more precise situations, we would use the require construct to halt the entire script should it not complete correctly.
Because PHP will only function under the PHP extension, web developers should get into the practice of forgetting the HTML extension and switching to PHP. If they don’t, the time will come when they see that PHP is the better alternative, and fixing the extension on hundreds of pages isn’t going to be much fun at that point in time.
Final Thoughts
Web developers all around the world are getting in on the PHP statement that is saving time for repetitive tasks. To accurately use the command, be sure to brush up on the include statement by reading manuals and documents relating to the include statement. If necessary, look for a few include tutorials to make sure the basics are covered.
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