I have two scripts that I call with two PHP include() calls. The first starts a session / sets cookies, the second loads one of two JavaScript scripts. To keep things valid, I've been using the two calls but I'd like to just combine them into one.
Current setup (simplified):
<? include "session.php" ?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<? include "scripts.php" ?>
...
What I'd like:
<? include "session_and_scripts.php" ?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
...
But it's invalid markup. Now if it really doesn't matter, I'd like to do it this way. If there are serious repercussions, then I'm thinking of just echoing a DOCTYPE in the included PHP file, which I'd rather not do.
So which is better: echo the DOCTYPE, use include() twice, or use include() once and have invalid markup?
EDIT - The whole script (session and javascript) should ideally be fully implementable with one line of code (e.g. the one include())
Use ob_start at first to avoid problems with session_start
<?php ob_start();?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<?php include "session_and_scripts.php"; ?>
A way that uses only 1 1file and no additional instructions:
<?php include "session_and_scripts.php" ?>
<!-- more head-stuff-->
</head>
<body>
<!--more content-->
session_and_scripts.php should do the following:
<?php
//do the session stuff
?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<script type="text/javascript">
//some javascript
</script>
(But I would'nt say it's a good approach)
But it's invalid markup. Now if it really doesn't matter, I'd like to do it this way. If there are serious repercussions, then I'm thinking of just echoing a DOCTYPE in the included PHP file, which I'd rather not do.
Assuming that you do not want to have a valid markup, there is no problem, the only restriction is that session_start is called before any kind of "echo"...
Assuming you want a valid markup using only one include and without echoing the DOCTYPE from the included file, you can save the script text into a php variable and echo it in the main page after the inclusion
//main page
<? include "session_and_scripts.php" ?>
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<?php echo $script;?>
// session_and_scripts.php
<?php
session_start();
$script = '<blablabla>';