Modify PHP file from another PHP file?

[ziycon]

I have two PHP files, modify.php & config.php, I have the below code in config.php and I'm wondering how I would go about searching config.php from modify.php and changing the values in config.php?

Should I be using something like file_get_contents() or is there an easier way?

config.php

<?php
#####################
#####################
 
//WARNING: DON'T CHANGE BELOW HERE
//Database details
$host = '';
$username = '';
$pass = ''
$prefix = '';
?>

[ziycon]

This code seems to do the job, is this the best way to do it? How can I change the the values using preg_replace like:

"host = '%1'", "host = 'new value'"

$fname = "config.php";
$fhandle = fopen($fname,"r");
$content = fread($fhandle,filesize($fname));
 
$content = str_replace("host = ''", "host = 'test1'", $content);
$content = str_replace("username = ''", "username = 'test2'", $content);
$content = str_replace("pass = ''", "pass = 'test3'", $content);
$content = str_replace("prefix = ''", "prefix = 'test4'", $content);
 
$fhandle = fopen($fname,"w");
fwrite($fhandle,$content);
fclose($fhandle);

[code green]

If it is a config file then it may be better in a text file rather than php.
Then read the file, modify the contents then overwrite the file.
Being in a text file also makes it easier for modifying by hand
and is more in keeping with PHP itself whose config files are text.

[Dormilich]

access one PHP file from another:

// one.php
<?php
  include "two.php";
 
  // some code in two.php
?>

personally I don't recommend putting sensitive information in a plain text file because this file can be easily read with a browser. PHP files have the advantage of not showing anything until you define output. although I don't recommend using variables to store something like passwords etc. constants are better suited for such a job.

you could go one step further and store sensitive information in a database, but it will make accessing that data more complex.

[ziycon]

I'm using a PHP file for the config file so the data can't be read via the browser and also the details have to stored here as they are the database details that a user would enter upon installation of the app. which is why I can't store them in the database.

[code green]

As an extra precaution it is recommended to put such files outside the hierarchy of the public domain.
In a folder above the www root for example.