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</div><hr /><div id="function.include" class="sect1">
<h2 class="title">include</h2>
<p class="verinfo">(PHP 4, PHP 5)</p>
<p class="simpara">
The <em>include</em> statement includes and evaluates
the specified file.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
The documentation below also applies to <span class="function"><a href="function.require.html" class="function">require</a></span>.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
Files are included based on the file path given or, if none is given, the
<a href="ini.core.html#ini.include-path" class="link">include_path</a> specified. If the file
isn't found in the <a href="ini.core.html#ini.include-path" class="link">include_path</a>,
<em>include</em> will finally check in the calling script's own
directory and the current working directory before failing. The
<em>include</em> construct will emit a
<a href="" class="link">warning</a> if
it cannot find a file; this is different behavior from
<span class="function"><a href="function.require.html" class="function">require</a></span>, which will emit a
<a href="" class="link">fatal error</a>.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
If a path is defined — whether absolute (starting with a drive letter
or <em>\</em> on Windows, or <em>/</em> on Unix/Linux
systems) or relative to the current directory (starting with
<em>.</em> or <em>..</em>) — the
<a href="ini.core.html#ini.include-path" class="link">include_path</a> will be ignored
altogether. For example, if a filename begins with <em>../</em>,
the parser will look in the parent directory to find the requested file.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
For more information on how PHP handles including files and the include path,
see the documentation for <a href="ini.core.html#ini.include-path" class="link">include_path</a>.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
When a file is included, the code it contains inherits the
<a href="language.variables.scope.html" class="link">variable scope</a> of the
line on which the include occurs. Any variables available at that line
in the calling file will be available within the called file, from that
point forward.
However, all functions and classes defined in the included file have the
global scope.
</p>
<p class="para">
<div class="example" id="example-140">
<p><strong>Example #1 Basic <em>include</em> example</strong></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<div class="phpcode"><code><span style="color: #000000">
vars.php<br /><span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /><br />$color </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'green'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">$fruit </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'apple'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?><br /></span><br />test.php<br /><span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #007700">echo </span><span style="color: #DD0000">"A </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$color</span><span style="color: #DD0000"> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$fruit</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// A<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #007700">include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'vars.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br />echo </span><span style="color: #DD0000">"A </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$color</span><span style="color: #DD0000"> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$fruit</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// A green apple<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>
</span>
</code></div>
</div>
</div>
</p>
<p class="simpara">
If the include occurs inside a function within the calling file,
then all of the code contained in the called file will behave as
though it had been defined inside that function. So, it will follow
the variable scope of that function.
An exception to this rule are <a href="language.constants.predefined.html" class="link">magic constants</a> which are
evaluated by the parser before the include occurs.
</p>
<p class="para">
<div class="example" id="example-141">
<p><strong>Example #2 Including within functions</strong></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<div class="phpcode"><code><span style="color: #000000">
<span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #007700">function </span><span style="color: #0000BB">foo</span><span style="color: #007700">()<br />{<br /> global </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$color</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /> include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'vars.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /> echo </span><span style="color: #DD0000">"A </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$color</span><span style="color: #DD0000"> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$fruit</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br />}<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #FF8000">/* vars.php is in the scope of foo() so *<br />* $fruit is NOT available outside of this *<br />* scope. $color is because we declared it *<br />* as global. */<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">foo</span><span style="color: #007700">(); </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// A green apple<br /></span><span style="color: #007700">echo </span><span style="color: #DD0000">"A </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$color</span><span style="color: #DD0000"> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$fruit</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// A green<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>
</span>
</code></div>
</div>
</div>
</p>
<p class="simpara">
When a file is included, parsing drops out of PHP mode and
into HTML mode at the beginning of the target file, and resumes
again at the end. For this reason, any code inside the target
file which should be executed as PHP code must be enclosed within
<a href="language.basic-syntax.phpmode.html" class="link">valid PHP start
and end tags</a>.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
If "<a href="filesystem.configuration.html#ini.allow-url-include" class="link">URL include wrappers</a>"
are enabled in PHP,
you can specify the file to be included using a URL (via HTTP or
other supported wrapper - see <a href="wrappers.html" class="xref">Supported Protocols and Wrappers</a> for a list
of protocols) instead of a local pathname. If the target server interprets
the target file as PHP code, variables may be passed to the included
file using a URL request string as used with HTTP GET. This is
not strictly speaking the same thing as including the file and having
it inherit the parent file's variable scope; the script is actually
being run on the remote server and the result is then being
included into the local script.
</p>
<div class="warning"><strong class="warning">Warning</strong><p class="para">Windows versions of PHP
prior to PHP 4.3.0 do not support access of remote files via this function,
even if <a href="filesystem.configuration.html#ini.allow-url-fopen" class="link">allow_url_fopen</a> is enabled.
</p></div>
<p class="para">
<div class="example" id="example-142">
<p><strong>Example #3 <em>include</em> through HTTP</strong></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<div class="phpcode"><code><span style="color: #000000">
<span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #FF8000">/* This example assumes that www.example.com is configured to parse .php<br />* files and not .txt files. Also, 'Works' here means that the variables<br />* $foo and $bar are available within the included file. */<br /><br />// Won't work; file.txt wasn't handled by www.example.com as PHP<br /></span><span style="color: #007700">include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'http://www.example.com/file.txt?foo=1&bar=2'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #FF8000">// Won't work; looks for a file named 'file.php?foo=1&bar=2' on the<br />// local filesystem.<br /></span><span style="color: #007700">include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'file.php?foo=1&bar=2'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #FF8000">// Works.<br /></span><span style="color: #007700">include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'http://www.example.com/file.php?foo=1&bar=2'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">$foo </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000BB">1</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">$bar </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000BB">2</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br />include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'file.txt'</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// Works.<br /></span><span style="color: #007700">include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'file.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// Works.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>
</span>
</code></div>
</div>
</div>
</p>
<div class="warning"><strong class="warning">Warning</strong>
<h1 class="title">Security warning</h1>
<p class="para">
Remote file may be processed at the remote server (depending on the file
extension and the fact if the remote server runs PHP or not) but it still
has to produce a valid PHP script because it will be processed at the
local server. If the file from the remote server should be processed
there and outputted only, <span class="function"><a href="function.readfile.html" class="function">readfile()</a></span> is much better
function to use. Otherwise, special care should be taken to secure the
remote script to produce a valid and desired code.
</p>
</div>
<p class="para">
See also <a href="features.remote-files.html" class="link">Remote files</a>,
<span class="function"><a href="function.fopen.html" class="function">fopen()</a></span> and <span class="function"><a href="function.file.html" class="function">file()</a></span> for related
information.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
Handling Returns: <em>include</em> returns
<em>FALSE</em> on failure and raises a warning. Successful
includes, unless overridden by the included file, return
<em>1</em>. It is possible to execute a <span class="function"><a href="function.return.html" class="function">return</a></span>
statement inside an included file in order to terminate processing in
that file and return to the script which called it. Also, it's possible
to return values from included files. You can take the value of the
include call as you would for a normal function. This is not, however,
possible when including remote files unless the output of the remote
file has <a href="language.basic-syntax.phpmode.html" class="link">valid PHP start
and end tags</a> (as with any local file). You can declare the
needed variables within those tags and they will be introduced at
whichever point the file was included.
</p>
<p class="para">
Because <em>include</em> is a special language construct,
parentheses are not needed around its argument. Take care when comparing
return value.
<div class="example" id="example-143">
<p><strong>Example #4 Comparing return value of include</strong></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<div class="phpcode"><code><span style="color: #000000">
<span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /></span><span style="color: #FF8000">// won't work, evaluated as include(('vars.php') == 'OK'), i.e. include('')<br /></span><span style="color: #007700">if (include(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'vars.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">) == </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'OK'</span><span style="color: #007700">) {<br /> echo </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'OK'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br />}<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #FF8000">// works<br /></span><span style="color: #007700">if ((include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'vars.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">) == </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'OK'</span><span style="color: #007700">) {<br /> echo </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'OK'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br />}<br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>
</span>
</code></div>
</div>
</div>
</p>
<p class="para">
<div class="example" id="example-144">
<p><strong>Example #5 <em>include</em> and the <span class="function"><a href="function.return.html" class="function">return</a></span> statement</strong></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<div class="phpcode"><code><span style="color: #000000">
return.php<br /><span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /><br />$var </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'PHP'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br />return </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$var</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?><br /></span><br />noreturn.php<br /><span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /><br />$var </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'PHP'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?><br /></span><br />testreturns.php<br /><span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br /><br />$foo </span><span style="color: #007700">= include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'return.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br />echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$foo</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// prints 'PHP'<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">$bar </span><span style="color: #007700">= include </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'noreturn.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /><br />echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$bar</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #FF8000">// prints 1<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>
</span>
</code></div>
</div>
</div>
</p>
<p class="simpara">
<em>$bar</em> is the value <em>1</em> because the include
was successful. Notice the difference between the above examples. The first uses
<span class="function"><a href="function.return.html" class="function">return</a></span> within the included file while the other does not.
If the file can't be included, <strong><code>FALSE</code></strong> is returned and
<strong><code>E_WARNING</code></strong> is issued.
</p>
<p class="para">
If there are functions defined in the included file, they can be used in the
main file independent if they are before <span class="function"><a href="function.return.html" class="function">return</a></span> or after.
If the file is included twice, PHP 5 issues fatal error because functions
were already declared, while PHP 4 doesn't complain about functions
defined after <span class="function"><a href="function.return.html" class="function">return</a></span>.
It is recommended to use <span class="function"><a href="function.include-once.html" class="function">include_once</a></span> instead of
checking if the file was already included and conditionally return inside
the included file.
</p>
<p class="simpara">
Another way to "include" a PHP file into a variable is to capture the
output by using the <a href="ref.outcontrol.html" class="link">Output Control
Functions</a> with <em>include</em>. For example:
</p>
<p class="para">
<div class="example" id="example-145">
<p><strong>Example #6 Using output buffering to include a PHP file into a string</strong></p>
<div class="example-contents">
<div class="phpcode"><code><span style="color: #000000">
<span style="color: #0000BB"><?php<br />$string </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000BB">get_include_contents</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'somefile.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">);<br /><br />function </span><span style="color: #0000BB">get_include_contents</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$filename</span><span style="color: #007700">) {<br /> if (</span><span style="color: #0000BB">is_file</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$filename</span><span style="color: #007700">)) {<br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">ob_start</span><span style="color: #007700">();<br /> include </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$filename</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /> return </span><span style="color: #0000BB">ob_get_clean</span><span style="color: #007700">();<br /> }<br /> return </span><span style="color: #0000BB">false</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br />}<br /><br /></span><span style="color: #0000BB">?></span>
</span>
</code></div>
</div>
</div>
</p>
<p class="para">
In order to automatically include files within scripts, see also the
<a href="ini.core.html#ini.auto-prepend-file" class="link">auto_prepend_file</a> and
<a href="ini.core.html#ini.auto-append-file" class="link">auto_append_file</a>
configuration options in <var class="filename">php.ini</var>.
</p>
<blockquote class="note"><p><strong class="note">Note</strong>: <span class="simpara">Because this is a
language construct and not a function, it cannot be called using
<a href="functions.variable-functions.html" class="link">variable functions</a>.</span>
</p></blockquote>
<p class="simpara">
See also <span class="function"><a href="function.require.html" class="function">require</a></span>, <span class="function"><a href="function.require-once.html" class="function">require_once</a></span>,
<span class="function"><a href="function.include-once.html" class="function">include_once</a></span>, <span class="function"><a href="function.get-included-files.html" class="function">get_included_files()</a></span>,
<span class="function"><a href="function.readfile.html" class="function">readfile()</a></span>, <span class="function"><a href="function.virtual.html" class="function">virtual()</a></span>, and
<a href="ini.core.html#ini.include-path" class="link">include_path</a>.
</p>
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