How to find the path to a file stored at an unknown location on the filesystem?

[ghe]

Good Day to all,

Ahm, does anyone here know how can i make a function that get the filepath of a specific file?

I want to create a function like this:
- getFilePath('A_file_with_an_unknown_path.inc');
then the function will return the path of the file with an unknown path/directory.

Is this possible? If not, can anyone tell me how can I be able to include a file with an unknown filepath/directory?

- require_once('???/???/???/A_file_with_an_unknown_path.inc');

Please help.

Thank you in advance.

[Atli]

You could always use functions such as glob to search the file-system, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Why would you want to include a file with an unknown file-path?
Sounds like a very risky thing to do.

[ghe]

You could always use functions such as glob to search the file-system, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Why would you want to include a file with an unknown file-path?
Sounds like a very risky thing to do.

It is because the file directory of my program will be based on where the user installed my program in his/her PC. I cannot use such path like - "../../my_file.inc", because it is not an absolute path.

[Atli]

If you know where the file is, relative to the file that is currently being executed, it's simple. You can use the __FILE__ constant with the pathname function to find the current directory and add to that. That would give the the absolute path to the file.
For example:

<?php
$relativePath = "path/to/file/filename.inc";
$currentPath = dirname(__FILE__);
include($currentPath ."/". $relativePath);
?>
 

Would that work for you?

[ghe]

Thank you for this, but, sad to say I think it will not work. Because as far as I know, if __file__ is used, it will just tell the path of the current script.

It will not work if the case is like this:

A_file_with_an_unknown_path.inc file is located at "/unknown_root_dir/???/inc", and the file that will include the A_file_with_an_unknown_path.inc file is located at "/unknown_root_dir/???/script", then __file__ will then give a wrong filepath.

[Atli]

Thank you for this, but, sad to say I think it will not work. Because as far as I know, if __file__ is used, it will just tell the path of the current script.

It will not work if the case is like this:

A_file_with_an_unknown_path.inc file is located at "/unknown_root_dir/???/inc", and the file that will include the A_file_with_an_unknown_path.inc file is located at "/unknown_root_dir/???/script", then __file__ will then give a wrong filepath.

Assuming that "/unknown_root_dir/???/" is the root for both directories, that is: if the relative path between the script that is being executed and the file_to_be_included is static... then you don't need an absolute path. Just use the static relative path.

Like, if I were to install your application at /var/www/app/, the paths would be:
/var/www/app/scripts/currentScript.php
/var/www/app/inc/file_to_be_included.inc

But if I were to install it at /home/username/app/, they would be:
/home/username/app/scripts/currentScript.php
/home/username/app/inc/file_to_be_included.inc

You could simply use the relative path: "../inc/file_to_be_included.inc".

Unless the 'inc' directory and the 'scripts' directory can be installed in separate root directories?

[ghe]

yes sir...they will be in two different directories...because the currentScript.php will be run through pgAgent, which will be located in "/usr/local/???/???/" path, while the file_to_be_included.inc will most likely be located in "/home/???/???" path.

[Atli]

Ahh ok.
In that case you will either have to just search the entire file system, which is highly problematic (to say the least).

Or, you will have to device some method of letting the script know exactly where the other file is saved. That could be anything from creating a config file in a predefined location to a simple form asking for the location.

Personally, I would try the latter. You could have it save the location so it doesn't have to ask each time it is executed.