Prepend and Append Files with .htaccess
One of the lessor known and used capabilities of .htaccess files is the ability to prepend and append includes to every page request. Doing so avoids needing to code <?php require('footer.php'); ?> in every template file you wat to use them in. Here's the .htaccess code:
# Prepend the file
php_value auto_prepend_file "/dir/path/utilities.php"
# Append file to bottom of page
php_value auto_append_file "/dir/path/templates/footer.php"
Now don't mistake this post as me telling you to use this strategy; using this functionality creates a layer of indirection that could confuse a team of developers if they don't all have a grasp of where automatically included files are coming from. Just wanted to let you know this was possible!
![Welcome to My New Office]()
My first professional web development was at a small print shop where I sat in a windowless cubical all day. I suffered that boxed in environment for almost five years before I was able to find a remote job where I worked from home. The first...
![Convert XML to JSON with JavaScript]()
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been working on a super top secret mobile application using Appcelerator Titanium. The experience has been great: using JavaScript to create easy to write, easy to test, native mobile apps has been fun. My...
![Adding Events to Adding Events in MooTools]()
Note: This post has been updated.
One of my huge web peeves is when an element has click events attached to it but the element doesn't sport the "pointer" cursor. I mean how the hell is the user supposed to know they can/should click on...
![MooTools CountDown Plugin]()
There are numerous websites around the internet, RapidShare for example, that make you wait an allotted amount of time before presenting you with your reward. Using MooTools, I've created a CountDown plugin that allows you to easily implement a similar system.
The MooTools JavaScript
The CountDown class...
this strategy is often used to hook a profiler into an existing app, which works great in DEV environments
see e.g. http://xhprof.io/
I can see it now, the /html directory full of code snippets, and an incredibly convoluted htaccess file that conditionally assembles the various pages for a site. :)
Quick! Turn it into a framework!
I’ve used to use this technique, but dropped it for a while now.
It appears very useful at first but can be dangerous actually…
One of its weakness is the impossibility to “un” prepend or “un” append according to directory or filematch directives.
How can i use the .httaccess pre-append a .php file? i have tried using—– php_value auto_prepend_file “inc.php”
Am getting this error: Fatal error: Unknown: Failed opening required ‘inc.php” (include_path=’.;D:\xampp\php\PEAR’) in Unknown on line 0
@Matthew
have you tried using full path like /var/www/site/dir/file.php?
.htaccess – is a single file for all project. And I think it’s a bad practice to prepend files, because they will prepend on all pages.
I find it hard to believe @ Pluto htaccess allows if statements.
Thanks Chris, this would be a great way to append a “copyright link” that can’t easily be found.