get parent folder paths with php

Question

I am working on my first MVC framework, and want to define 4 constants for BASE_PATH, APP_PATH, LIB_PATH & PUBLIC_PATH. My file structure looks like this:

/
/app
    /controllers
    /models
    /views
/config
/db
/lib
/public_html
    /css
    /js
    /img

My index.php file is located in the public_html directory. And currently has the following code:

error_reporting(E_ALL);
define('BASE_PATH',dirname(realpath(__FILE__)) . "/../");
define('APP_PATH',dirname(realpath(__FILE__)) . "/../app/");
define('LIB_PATH',dirname(realpath(__FILE__)) . "/../lib/");
define('PUBLIC_PATH',dirname(realpath(__FILE__)) . "/");

require LIB_PATH . 'core.php';

This works, but I feel like there must be a better way of doing it without all of the "..". Any suggestions or is this the best way of going about it? Let me know. Thank you!

---

ANSWER

Thank you to @fireeyedboy and @KingCrunch, I have come up with the solution I was looking for. This is my final code:

define('PUBLIC_PATH', dirname(__FILE__) . "/");
define('BASE_PATH', dirname(PUBLIC_PATH) . "/");
define('APP_PATH', BASE_PATH . "app/");
define('LIB_PATH', BASE_PATH . "lib/");

Solution 1

How about this:

define('PUBLIC_PATH',dirname(realpath(__FILE__)) . "/");
define('BASE_PATH',dirname(PUBLIC_PATH));
define('APP_PATH',BASE_PATH . "/app/");
define('LIB_PATH',BASE_PATH . "/lib/");

In other words use dirname() again. And re-order defining the constants to make direct use of them. Not sure it helps readability though.

Solution 2

First:

realpath(__FILE__)

is just useless

However, there no "real" better way, because ../ is not "dirty". The only other solution, that comes in my mind

dirname(dirname(__FILE__))

.. is the way a filesystem (its not invented by php ;)) defines its parent directory, just as well . defines the current directory.

Comments

[Yev]

can you elaborate a little bit as to why you say that "realpath(__FILE__) is just useless"?

[KingCrunch]

@Yevgeniy: Its because __FILE__ is always absolute and because it is the filename of the file it is written in, the file it points to definitely exists. realpath(__FILE__) == __FILE__

[Yev]

Although I understand the logic behind defining paths in a file in the config/ folder, I have seen it done this way (in the index.php) in other examples and tutorials. Since I will only be defining these once, in one file, I feel like this is appropriate. I am storing all of the application files outside of the public folder, to prevent any potential, unauthorized access. So in my case: BASE_PATH = "/" & PUBLIC_PATH = "/public_html/"

[pleasedontbelong]

you're right but FILE does not work in same way at every version of PHP. and after having a few problems with that i decided that i'd be happier with using just a string... now i usually have many config files where i define the constants for all the aplication, one of those files have all the constants that changes when i publish the project on a different server, and a main config file that includes them.. so if for any reason someone has to add,remove or modify a constant, he will know that the constants are on that folder.. but you know, that's just a choice =)

[Yev]

I just did some research and it looks like you're right, but I'll stick to my way :) Just in case anyone is curious __FILE__ definition straight form php.net "The full path and filename of the file. If used inside an include, the name of the included file is returned. Since PHP 4.0.2, __FILE__ always contains an absolute path with symlinks resolved whereas in older versions it contained relative path under some circumstances."