root path doesn't work with php include

Question

/ in the beginning of a link to get to the root folder doesn\'t work in php include.

for example \"/example/example.php\"

What is the solution?

Answer 1

include() (and many other functions like require(), fopen(), etc) all work off the local filesystem, not the web root.

So, when you do something like this

include( "/example/example.php" );

You're trying to include from the root of your *nix machine.

And while there are a multitude of ways to approach what you're doing, Paul Dixon's suggestions are probably your best bets.