Zend GData Include Paths - php

Question

I'm attempting to write a simple script to read from and write to a Google Spreadsheet. I cannot seem to get the correct Zend include paths to work.
I began by using this walkthrough, kindly provided by a fellow developer:
http://www.farinspace.com/saving-form-data-to-google-spreadsheets/
I have been using different permutations of the location of the Zend GData library (downloaded directly from the Zend website), which claims it is supposed to work without the entire framework.
I have tried the following:
1) Zend library folder ZendGdata-1.12.17 right off the web root (since the code provided uses the following convention)
set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . "$_SERVER[DOCUMENT_ROOT]/ZendGdata-1.8.1/library");
I, of course switched the directory to the correct one, so that I use the following:
set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . "$_SERVER[DOCUMENT_ROOT]/ZendGdata-1.12.17/library");
This results in this message:
Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'Zend/Http/Header/HeaderValue.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php5.5:/kunden/homepages/40/USERNAME/htdocs/network/ZendGdata-1.12.17/library') in /homepages/40/USERNAME/htdocs/network/ZendGdata-1.12.17/library/Zend/Http/Client.php on line 45
2) Putting the include path in a php.ini file.
3) Putting the include path in .htaccess
4) Using other set_include_path statements
5) Uploading the Xml folder to the Zend library folder (per another answer)
It seems that I can get the initial loader to load Zend, but in the Google_Spreadsheet.php file it loads several of the classes:
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Http_Client');
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Gdata');
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Gdata_ClientLogin');
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Gdata_Spreadsheets');
I've tried putting the Zend GData library into a directory on the same level as the webroot, and still get errors.
I do not have access to SSH or very much past simple control panel functionality (no include path access in php.ini).
Other answers I have looked at:
Zend Gdata include path issue (Loader.php)
Zend Framework include path
ZendGdata framework path set error
AND MANY MORE.

Answer 1

What would happen if you just create script.php in the folder where Zend folder is, so it looks like:
[Zend]
script.php
and inside script.php do this:
<?php
require_once(dirname(__FILE__).'/Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php');
$loader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
$spreadsheet = new Zend_Gdata_Spreadsheets();
var_dump($spreadsheet);
will it instantiate Zend_Gdata_Spreadsheets object and dump it without errors?