PHP include not working on very simple code

Question

I am trying to include a very simple header.html to my index.php but it doesn't seem to work and i can't get my finger on the problem:

Here is header.html code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="utf-8"/>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/master.css"/>
</head>
<body>
<header><img src="img/lys.png" class="logo_lys"/></header>
<nav>
    <ul>
        <li><a href="#">Accueil</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">Équipes</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">Tournois</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">Scrims</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">Forum</a></li>
    </ul>
</nav> 
</body>
<html>

Here is index.php code:

   [...content]
    <body>
    <?php //include("header.html"); ?>
    <?php include("header.php"); ?>
     <?php //include($_SERVER['C:/Documents and Settings/sabourma/Bureau/site_2']."header.html");?>
   [...content]
    </body>
    </html>

I tried to change header.html to header.php because i read if it's in html the computer won't process it. I also tried to include the full path to my header, but it didn't work. Please note that all my files are local right now so it can't be a server problem. I also read php may be "disable" but have no idea what this means.

What does the page echo out? Do you actually see php code in the browser's source code? Then the problem could really be that your php server is not turned on. — Dennis Hackethal
– Dennis Hackethal, Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 14:47
When i look at the source code of index.php, i see this: <body> <?php include_once('header.php');?> [some html] (please note that i just changed the include to include_once because of what sixeight told me to try) — Maude
– Maude, Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 14:51
@Maude, You don't have PHP installed correctly if that's what you are seeing in the source... — Mike Mackintosh
– Mike Mackintosh, Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 14:52

Quentin · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-07 14:49:48Z

4

Please note that all my files are local right now so it can't be a server problem

Yes, it can.

PHP is (usually used as) a server side programming language.

It doesn't work without a server (which has to have a PHP interpreter installed and configured).

(Well, it does, but you have to run the files through a PHP interpreter, and not just load them in a browser).

answered Aug 7, 2012 at 14:49

Quentin

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1 Comment

Maude Over a year ago

Oh wow how stupid of me. I thought it was the same as html/css. Thanks!

Dennis Hackethal · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-07 15:00:08Z

3

From the comments below your question it seems like there might be two issues:

Either you don't have php installed
Or you have it installed but it's not running

If you still need php software, you can find it here. After installing everything, there is a folder in it called "htdocs" where you can put your php files. In the browser, you can access this folder via "http://localhost/". So, e.g., if you have a folder called "greatsite" in htdocs, you can access it in your browser via http://localhost/greatsite/

If you simply haven't activated php, open up the Xampp starter and enable php and apache.

BTW: You can include html files like php files, both should work, that can't be the problem.

answered Aug 7, 2012 at 15:00

Dennis Hackethal

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1 Comment

Maude Over a year ago

Thanks a lot! I did PHP before but it was a long time ago and the server was already fully set up so i did not have to deal with this kind of problem.

Mike Mackintosh · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-07 14:47:59Z

2

Your file with the header's html is called header.html, but you are including header.php. I see the line above that which is commented out.

Try:

<?=include_once('header.php');?>

In place of those lines.

answered Aug 7, 2012 at 14:47

Mike Mackintosh

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2 Comments

Maude Over a year ago

It was called header.html BEFORE but then i switched it to .php which is why i tried to include .php and put the include .html in comment. I tried the include_once but it did nothing

Mike Mackintosh Over a year ago

if you run <?=phpinfo();?> what is returned.

Daniel Li · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-07 14:49:04Z

1

Certain properties in your php.ini file will control functionality. However, using a default installation should allow for file inclusion.

$_SERVER['C:/Documents and Settings/sabourma/Bureau/site_2']."header.html is not the proper way to reference the absolute path for your file.

You'll want to use something like this instead:

include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . "/path/to/header.php"); // DOCUMENT_ROOT represents the root directory, echo this for more info

Also keep in mind that .html should work when included. It may also not be including because you have listed header.php rather than header.html.

Enjoy and good luck!

answered Aug 7, 2012 at 14:49

Daniel Li

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1 Comment

Maude Over a year ago

It turned out it was my php who wasn't installed on my computer (lol!) but thanks a lot for giving me advice on document root, i really didn't know how to use it!

Matthew Kessanis · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-06 09:08:18Z

0

Please do not get in the habit of using short tags <?, because they are not always supported.

<?=include_once('header.php');?>

can be replaced with

<?PHP include_once('header.php'); ?>

answered Apr 6, 2017 at 9:08

Matthew Kessanis

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