CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpini
Moon
Moon

Reputation: 22565

can I use .ini for configuration file in PHP?

My friend asked me to update a PHP application that his company uses. I found out that the application uses .ini extension for DB configuration file. The file contains DB host address, username, and password!!. The problem is that I can access the file on web-browsers.

I am trying to understand why. Is there any particular reasons to use a regular php file with .ini extension??? I just don't get it.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 1279

Answers (5)

code_burgar
code_burgar

Reputation: 12323

Readability is one of the main reasons I've used ini filies for php script configs in the past. People who are not coders have run into an ini file at least once before, and can understand what it is much easier than even a simple php file.

The issue of ini files being readable by everyone can be prevented by server side configuration, or even better, by simply adding a single line of code inside a comment line at the top of the file.

That way php will output an 'Direct access forbidden' when the file is accessed via a browser, and the ini file will continue to function as before.

Upvotes: 3

NSSec
NSSec

Reputation: 4551

INI files are just one way of dealing with configuration, perhaps the developer came from a Windows-developing background and used whatever he was familiar with :). Besides, PHP offers a convenient way of parsing INI files through the parse_ini_file function.

You'll want to make sure the .INI file is not accessible from the web though. Move it below the docroot so your PHP script can still access it, but random browsers cannot.

Upvotes: 3

Martins
Martins

Reputation: 11

Seems like this is just former programmer's wish to use different file type for configuration. If there is no other uses for this file, rename it to *.php and forget it. If not, configure webserver to parse ini as php or, better, move it to directory, not reachable from web-server.

Upvotes: 1

Pawka
Pawka

Reputation: 2576

You can use Zend_Config_Ini. It is comfortable and easy. Just simply do not put config files where any user can reach them (for example public_html).

Upvotes: 3

Mark Rushakoff
Mark Rushakoff

Reputation: 258128

For what it's worth, PHP has traditionally used php.ini to configure PHP. So maybe it's some kind of legacy thing?

Upvotes: 1

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