<?php
//----------------------------------------------------------
// The combination of array_shift/array_unshift
// greatly simplified a function I created for
// generating relative paths. Before I found them
// the algorithm was really squirrely, with multiple
// if tests, length calculations, nested loops, etc.
// Great functions.
//----------------------------------------------------------
function create_relative_path($inSourcePath, $inRefPath)
{
// break strings at slashes
$s_parts = explode('/', $inSourcePath);
$r_parts = explode('/', $inRefPath);
// delete items up to the first non-equal part
while ($s_parts[0] === $r_parts[0])
{
array_shift($s_parts);
array_shift($r_parts);
}
// add wild card to r_parts for each remaining
// item of s_parts
while ($s_parts[0])
{
array_unshift($r_parts, '..');
array_shift($s_parts);
}
return implode('/', $r_parts);
}
//----------------------------------------------------------
// Example:
// Given a source path $sp generates the relative
// location of $rp. $sp could be assigned using
// $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] but it's hardcoded for
// the example.
//----------------------------------------------------------
$sp = '/WebServer/Documents/MyBigProject/php/project_script.php';
$rp = '/WebServer/Documents/MyLibraries/lib_script.php';
// plugging them into the function
$rel_path = create_relative_path($sp, $rp);
// yeilds
'../../../MyLibraries/lib_script.php'
// and it could be used like
include_once(create_relative_path($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'], $rp));