PHP str_replace to include function/file as part of a Templating system

Question

Overview: I'm making a tempting system for my sites, which at the moment is going quite well and it is working how I would expect it to, the only problems arise when I would like something like {PAGE_SIDEBAR} to show the file template/sidebar.php or something similar.

I am using

//loads of other str_replace here
$body = str_replace("{PAGE_SIDEBAR}, include("template/sidebar.php"), $body);
echo $body;

this works, however it includes the file at the start of body, NOT where {PAGE_SIDEBAR} is. Where the tag is, it shows the number 1.

See screenshots for better explanation:

How the rendered template looks before

Using the insert code above

Also, for point of interest, How it looks using file_get_contents() instead of include(): http:// www.jamesmoorhouse.co.uk/stack_overflow/str_replace/file_get_contents_method.png

Ideally I Am hoping for it to work as it would with the include method, but show up where the file_get_contents method puts it.

You're missing a quote after {PAGE_SIDEBAR}

Deep Frozen
– Deep Frozen

2012-07-04 10:53:01 +00:00
Commented Jul 4, 2012 at 10:53 — Deep Frozen
– Deep Frozen, Commented Jul 4, 2012 at 10:53
Ah, typo as I typed it up separately for my post

James Moorhouse
– James Moorhouse

2012-07-04 11:22:56 +00:00
Commented Jul 4, 2012 at 11:22 — James Moorhouse
– James Moorhouse, Commented Jul 4, 2012 at 11:22

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:32:11Z

12

You have to capture everything that the include spits out using output buffering to be able to use it as a string:

ob_start();
include("template/sidebar.php");
$str_sidebar = ob_get_clean();
$body = str_replace("{PAGE_SIDEBAR}", $str_sidebar, $body);
echo $body;

If there are lots of placeholders that you want to replace, you might want to use a regular-expression based solution with a callback so that you don't have to repeat this code for each. See my answer here for a primer.

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:32

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Jul 4, 2012 at 10:51

Jon

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4 Comments

powtac Over a year ago

Good answer! include is a language construct and not a function.

James Moorhouse Over a year ago

Absolute winner, this is a perfect solution. Thanks!

osuddeth Over a year ago

Just wanted to drop in and say that, three years later, this answer really helped me out. Thanks!

b3tac0d3 Over a year ago

12 Years later and it is still a great answer. Thank you!

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