PHP variables between files - php

There is a php file (current.php) with some variables, like:
function do() {
$var = 'something';
}
And one more php file (retrieve.php), which is loaded to current.php with jQuery ajax .load().
The problem is - retrieve.php doesn't see $var.
Tryed this (inside retrieve.php, shows nothing):
global $var;
echo $var;
How to fix?
Thanks.

Some things you must be aware of:
When you use PHP, you do not download a file: you execute a script and retrieve its output.
PHP variables are destroyed when the script ends. You cannot share variables between two scripts unless you store them somewhere (e.g., in a database or session file).
PHP variables are local to the function where you define them, unless you issue a global $foo; statement inside the function.
jQuery is a JavaScript library. JavaScript and PHP are different languages: they cannot see each other variables.
Said that, I suggest you reconsider your question and try to explain what you need to accomplish rather that how you want to implement it.

The problem is - retrieve.php doesn't see $var.
Sure it is!
all current.php variables are long dead along with current.php itself, which was run, print some HTML and die.
you have to pass required value using standard HTTP mechanisms. you know - GET, POST etc.

If you want the script you load through AJAX get the value of the vars from the page initiating the AJAX load then you either have to pass the values when loading the AJAX script or store them somewhere temporarily (in DB linked by session ID, or in a session var) so you can retrieve them easily.

Related

PHP eval in eval cannot read predifined variables

Before I explain the issue, I know the risks of using eval, but there is no realy other way to do it on how my system is build, and it also is for a personal project only. (its a custom cms which when I publish it makes the physical files for me, I just made it though db so I don't need to upload files when not working remote and it is just easy).
Lets explain my issue, I have a main php file which handles all pages, all pages are stored in the db with code and all and is being executed through eval.
And the system also has a function include_db which basicly does the same as include from php normaly just from the db.
But when I access a variable defined in the first eval (main page) it can not be read out in the included eval from the db.
Weird thing is that functions can be read out though the second eval.
Any way to access variables normaly from the included eval that is being generated in the eval of the main page?
(I think it has to do because those variables are not global and its being executed in a function but I do not know a way to make every variable global :( )
Thanks in advance!
The code that is being evalled on the main page:
$skill = isset($_REQUEST['skill']) && is_string($_REQUEST['skill']) && isValidSkill($_REQUEST['skill']) ? $_REQUEST['skill'] : 'overall';
if(!isset($_REQUEST['player']))
include_db('highscore_overview');
else
include_db('highscore_player');
And inside the include of overview I dump the get_defined_vars() and that doesn't return the $skill I set before the include only the variables that are declared in the main index.php (database and such)
First of all a disclaimer: You should never ever execute code from a database. That is a big security risk. It means that whenever someone is successful in gaining access to your database (using sql-injection for example) is now also capable of executing arbitrary code in php by changing the code in your database. You really should not do that!
If you are using code from the database to implement custom (email-)templates, please consider using a templating-engine for that like twig. Most syntaxes of template-engines are built in a way that you cannot break out of them and execute arbitrary code like you could with raw php code.
That said, i now try to answer the original question (because i cannot stop you doing things you should not do anyways). In terms of variable-scope, eval behaves like a function. If you want the variables defined inside it global, you have to manually make every variable defined inside the eval global.
You can do that by append a code-snippet to every code executed in eval that takes every local (in eval defined) variable and writes it into global scope.
<?php
function include_db() {
# ... get $code from db here ...
# get's executed after code from db, globalizes all variables
$code .= ';foreach (get_defined_vars()) as $newGlobalName) {';
$code .= ' $GLOBALS[$newGlobalName] = $$newGlobalName;';
$code .= '}';
eval($code);
}

Calling a function from another PHP script via HTTP: is it slower or anything else?

Let's say I have a PHP file some_function.php which I can run with file_get_contents('some_function.php?' . $parameters_string) (or any similar function). The parameters to this function can be given via either GET or POST HTTP method.
Instead I could include needed file and use this function within one script.
I could figure out that it could be reasonable if I need to run a separate process or I need this function to be on a separate server. But if not, is there any reasons not to do it? May be this call will be much slower? Anything else I should take into account?
I know that I will not be able to use global variables (which I assume as a bad coding style anyway).
By using file_get_contents() you will not be actually calling the function in question but will make an HTTP request passing some predefined parameters which will then be passed on the function in your code.
Using include() you could have a library of classes or functions inside that file, and call them directly as needed and as many times as needed.
EXAMPLE:
library.php
function my_function_1() { }
function my_function_2() { }
index.php
include('library.php');
my_function_1(); // call the first function
my_function_2(); // call the second function
my_function_1(); // call the first function again, just because we can
You wouldn't be able to do that through the HTTP request and even if you did hardcode your some_function.php file to do some functionality like above, you would end up with really bad code that would be hard to customize to your needs and near impossible to maintain once it gets bigger.
You cannot pass a query string via a local file_get_contents call as shown.
If you use file_get_contents on a remote HTTP URL, you will be able to use a query string, but this will be significantly slower than a local include or file_get_contents.
You can, incidentally, still include something that needs $_GET/$_POST variables:
<?php
$_GET['something'] = true;
include('something.php');

How to secure the php code?

I created now a Javascript Code that get the php variable into javascript code, my issue that the php variable is important and I don't want any can see this variable is there is any way to do that by the way I tried to use obfuscator but it doesn't work because of the PHP code inside the Javascript code, let's say this is my Code,
<?php
$var = "this is impotant";
?>
<script type="text/javascript">
var javaScriptVar = "<?php echo $var; ?>";
</script>
So, is there any way to use PHP variables in Javascript code or hide the result of the PHP code?
Nobody sees the PHP code. But if you expose values into Javascript, they are not secret anymore. There is no way to deal with this. You cannot use the value in Javascript and NOT reveal it.
If you want to keep process data secret on the server, and available for the next request of that user, use a session.
People will only see the value of the variable. They wont know what it is or how important it is supposed to be. Nobody will see the variable name because the PHP code is executed BEFORE the page is sent to the client. Therefore there is no need to obfuscate the value, and you cant anyway since you need the value.
An example. if I use this PHP code in my file
<p>Hello Mr <?php echo $MY_SUPER_SECRET_VARIABLE ?></p>
the only thing people will be able to see in the source when the page loads is
<p>Hello Mr Bond</p>
The same rule applies if it is placed in Javascript
First you need to understand that Javascript is executed on the client side, every piece of code and variable are in some way accessible by someone with some programming background.
Although you can obfuscate the source code and encrypt the variable to make it harder to read, there is no 100% protection when things happen on client side.
who wants to get the value, will get it. but you can
dynamically inject them via ajax
encode (base64 etc.) the value
obfuscate the code
PHP files will be interpreted into static (like html or xml format) file, means that all variables will be replaced with certain values.What users see is static, no php code displayed but just interpreted text.

Open file from a php document, and close it from another?

I am trying to do the following:
Open a file, say "myfile.json" from a php- let's call it "utils.php"; Use it in other php pages; close it from another php.
I have tried to include "utils.php" in the other files and write in the utils file, but it does not seem to work. I suppose this happens because utils.php is never actually executed, only included, but if I should execute it, how can I do it without having to refresh any page, preferably right when the user gets on the main page? This should not be seen by the user, what he sees should remain the main page.
Thanks in advance, I am quite new to php, and am trying to learn.
When you include a file, you are running all code inside it. The functions and classes will not be evaluated but will be defined for future use. If you open your file as this example:
util.php
<?php
$file_hand = fopen('/tmp/file.txt','r');
You will have a handle if the operation is completed. However, the variable $file_hand is global. If you need to use a function to close it, you will need the following code to do it:
other.php
function close_file(){
global $file_hand;
fclose($file_hand)
}
or you can pass the handle as parameter like:
function close_file($file_hand){
fclose($file_hand)
}
Doesn't matter how you will close the file. You have to make sure the variable you are using is the same created in utils.php. If you close like this:
function close_file(){
fclose($file_hand)
}
The variable you've created in until.php file is different of this one.

How to load the result of a php function into a variable

I have a php file on my server that takes in two inputs through the URL and then comes back with a result. When a page is loaded, I'd like to have the result of that calculation already loaded. For example:
$var = load("http://mysite.com/myfile.php?&var1=var1&var2=var2");
I know that load isn't a real function for this, but is there something simple that suits what I'm looking for? thanks
Use file_get_contents
$foo = file_get_contents('http://mysite.com/myfile.php?&var1=var1&var2=var2');
Or, a better solution if the file is located on your server:
include('myfile.php');
and either set the $_GET variables in the included script itself, or prior to including it.
If they are running on the same server, consider calling the script directly?
$_GET["var1"] = "var1";
$_GET["var2"] = "var2";
include "myfile.php";
You could use file_get_contents, but it may be a more practical solution to simply include the file and call the function directly in the file, rather than trying to manually load the file.

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