Calling many Variables stored in outside file - php

Question

The code I had help with the last couple weeks works great. The problem is it's creating way more needed includes and external files than I first thought and getting to be a challenge to keep track of.
I was told to use MySQL. That would be fine if the data was going to be used over again. The data is only used long enough to build the pages, print to pdf and then it's no longer needed and the files are deleted.
I have three templates that are used to create all the needed pages. Only the data is different but never the same to allow it to be saved beyond it's use.
The problem I started having is when 30+ pages are loaded into a single browser window so it can get processed to pdf, this is calling a few hundred includes and some are being missed. When each page is called by itself it all loads fine.
The other thing I can think of is to try and get the variables belonging to each page in it's own single file and have the page access that file. When I call the file with include "file.php"; it just prints everything to the screen and not where they are needed. That way each file would have 10 - 15 variables in it for each page This would eliminate over 400 external files down to 1+ images for each page.
Is putting them all in one separate file and then called possible?
I hope I explained this correctly.
Thanks in advance.
// What I would like in one file.
$item1 = "Data for Item one";
$photo1 = "img src string to image for item 1";
etc...
$item12 = "Data for Item 12";
$photo12 = "img src string to image for item 12";
This would then call the items in the proper location of the page.
echo "$item1";
echo "photo1";
etc...
echo "$item12";
echo "photo12";

Answer 1

You can use a MySQL database to store information like that. (Settings, etc.)
But you can also use arrays for this which is probably more advisable.
Solution with arrays
An array gives you the possibility to easily store and manage data of a similar type.
You create a new array like this:
$settings = array();
To store a value in it, you have several options:
name it as an integer (0, 1, 2, 3 etc.)
name it as a string ('item1', 'path2' etc.)
$settings = array('path1', 'path2');
This just stored 0 => 'path1' and 1 => 'path1'
To get the value of a key in an array:
echo $settings[0]; //or $settings{0}, outputs 'path1'
echo $settings[1]; //outputs 'path2'
Or you store it as a string:
$settings = array('picture1' => 'path1', 'picture2' => 'path2');
echo $settings['picture1']; //outputs 'path1'
Also, multidimensional arrays are possible:
$settings = array(
'paths' => array(
'picture1' => 'path1',
'picture2' => 'path2'
),
'language' => 'english'
);
You get a value of a multidimensional array like this:
//for every dimension a new [], outputs 'path1'
echo $settings['paths']['picture1'];
Then you can just easily store all your settings and require_once 'settings.php';.
If you want to learn more about arrays, go to the php.net documentation.
Example:
/php/settings.php
$settings = array(
'items' => array(
'item1' => 'Data for Item1',
'item12' => 'Data for Item12',
),
'photos' => array(
'photo1' => 'img src string to image for item 1',
'photo12' => 'img src string to image for item 12',
),
);
index.php
<?php
require_once '/php/settings.php';
echo $settings['items']['item1']; //outputs 'Data for Item1'
//Or you can even use a foreach loop
foreach($settings['items'] as $key) {
echo $key;
echo '<br>';
}
That prints out:
Data for Item1
Data for Item12
Hope this helped.