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!
![Detect DOM Node Insertions with JavaScript and CSS Animations]()
I work with an awesome cast of developers at Mozilla, and one of them in Daniel Buchner. Daniel's shared with me an awesome strategy for detecting when nodes have been injected into a parent node without using the deprecated DOM Events API.
![fetch API]()
One of the worst kept secrets about AJAX on the web is that the underlying API for it, XMLHttpRequest, wasn't really made for what we've been using it for. We've done well to create elegant APIs around XHR but we know we can do better. Our effort to...
![CSS Scoped Styles]()
There are plenty of awesome new attributes we've gotten during the HTML5 revolution: placeholder, download, hidden, and more. Each of these attributes provides us a different level of control over an element on the page, but there's a new element attribute that allows...
![Create Spinning, Fading Icons with CSS3 and MooTools]()
A goal of my latest blog redesign was to practice what I preached a bit more; add a bit more subtle flair. One of the ways I accomplished that was by using CSS3 animations to change the display of my profile icons (RSS, GitHub, etc.) I...
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.