How do I include a file over 2 directories back?

Question

How do you include a file that is more than 2 directories back. I know you can use ../index.php to include a file that is 2 directories back, but how do you do

Answer 1

But be VERY careful about letting a user select the file. You don't really want to allow them to get a file called, for example,

../../../../../../../../../../etc/passwd

or other sensitive system files.

(Sorry, it's been a while since I was a linux sysadmin, and I think this is a sensitive file, from what I remember)

Answer 2

.. selects the parent directory from the current. Of course, this can be chained:

../../index.php

This would be two directories up.

Answer 3

if you are using php7 you can use dirname function with level parameter of 2, for example :

dirname("/usr/local/lib", 2);

the second parameter "2" indicate how many level up

dirname referance

Answer 4

../../../includes/boot.inc.php

Answer 5

You can do ../../directory/file.txt - This goes two directories back.

../../../ - this goes three. etc

Answer 6

../ is one directory, Repeat for two directories ../../ or even three: ../../../ and so on.

Defining constants may reduce confusion because you will drill forward into directories verses backwards

You could define some constants like so:

define('BD', '/home/user/public_html/example/');

define('HTMLBD', 'http://example.com/');

When using 'BD' or my 'base directory' it looks like so:

file(BD.'location/of/file.php');

define(); reference