Display HTML output in Javascript application

[DeNasio]

Hello,

I have the following problem. I have a PHP script "display.output.php" that produces a certain HTML output. I use this script in several other scripts. When I want to display this output I call the script like this:

include("display.output.php");

But now I'm building another PHP script "javascript.php" script with a "Content-Type: application/x-javascript" header. So basically I use this script in a javascript code. What I need is to display the output of the script "display.output.php" in the script "javascript.php". I don't know how to do this. I've tried the following but it doesn't work.

?>
<!-- 
document.writeln("<?php echo addslashes(@include("display.output.php")); ?>");
// -->
<?php

Like I said, the code above doesn't work. Does any one know how I can display the output of the script "display.output.php" in the script "javascript.php"?

[php_daemon]

You have to escape all double quotes and replace newlines with \n in the output of display.output.php before plugging it into the javascript.

[Mittineague]

Let me see if I get this.
You want to have PHP include a PHP file that outputs javascript that writes a PHP include of another PHP file?
I imagine there's a problem with the PHP parsing the code only once so that the PHP the js writes is too late to get parsed (javascript is client-side).
Maybe wrap the main page in an output buffer? Or maybe a less convulted way to get the same effect?

[DeNasio]

You have to escape all double quotes and replace newlines with \n in the output of display.output.php before plugging it into the javascript.

Yeah, but how do I do this? Keep in mind that the output is generated by the script "display.output.php".

[DeNasio]

Maybe wrap the main page in an output buffer? Or maybe a less convulted way to get the same effect?

Say what?

[Mittineague]

I was wondering if you buffered the page's output, it might "give the parser" time to process the include (maybe).
But I really think the answer is to rethink how to achieve the result you want.
eg. have the include output the mark-up as a variable and pass that to the javascript. eg.

<?php
$output = "<div>blah blah</div>";
?>
<?php
include "blah_div.php";
....
document.write('<?php echo $output; ?>');
...

Although as php_daemon said, the real problem may be the quotes and newlines present in the include. You could test by using a simple include that doesn't have quotes or newlines. Something like

<?php
<div>This is a test</div>
?>
<?php
....
document.write('<?php addslashes(@include "display.output.php");?>');
....

If that works then you could add str_replace to the addslashes and you should be all set.

[DeNasio]

Is it possible to give a variable the "value" of the output in some sort of way? Something like this $output = @include("display.output.php"); ??

[Mittineague]

Instead of using include, you could do

$handle = fopen($path_file, 'r');
$fs = filesize($path_file);
$file_data = fread($handle, $fs);
fclose($handle);
clearstatcache(); 

The variable $file_data will contain the contents of the file as a string;

[DeNasio]

Instead of using include, you could do

$handle = fopen($path_file, 'r');
$fs = filesize($path_file);
$file_data = fread($handle, $fs);
fclose($handle);
clearstatcache(); 

The variable $file_data will contain the contents of the file as a string;

Won't this only work if the file only contains HTML? The file also contains PHP commands in it, so I don't think reading the file will work.

[Mittineague]

If the file has PHP commands in it then I'd put the results into a variable and pass that to the js like I showed in my earlier post.
Or have the include output the javascript tags/code then you just have to include it.

[DeNasio]

Ok, I've decided to change my method. I will buffer the output of the script "display.output.php" in a variable called $output. This is the easiest way to do it.

But how do I assign the following output to the variable $output without making change to the code?

?>
<table bgcolor="<?php echo $bgcolor1; ?>" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="<?php echo $width; ?>">
<tr><td><table border="<?php echo $border; ?>" cellspacing="<?php echo $cspace; ?>" cellpadding="2" width="100%">
<tr bgcolor="<?php echo $bgcolor1; ?>"><td align="center" style="color:<?php echo $txtcolor1; ?>; font-family:<?php echo $fontface1; ?>; font-size:<?php echo $fontsize1; ?>; font-style:<?php if ($fontstyle1 == "i" or $fontstyle1 == "bi") {echo "italic";} else {echo "normal";} ?>; font-weight:<?php if ($fontstyle1 == "b" or $fontstyle1 == "bi") {echo "bold";} else {echo "normal";} ?>">
<?php

I've tried the following but it doesn't really work:

$output = "
?>
<table bgcolor="<?php echo $bgcolor1; ?>" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="<?php echo $width; ?>">
<tr><td><table border="<?php echo $border; ?>" cellspacing="<?php echo $cspace; ?>" cellpadding="2" width="100%">
<tr bgcolor="<?php echo $bgcolor1; ?>"><td align="center" style="color:<?php echo $txtcolor1; ?>; font-family:<?php echo $fontface1; ?>; font-size:<?php echo $fontsize1; ?>; font-style:<?php if ($fontstyle1 == "i" or $fontstyle1 == "bi") {echo "italic";} else {echo "normal";} ?>; font-weight:<?php if ($fontstyle1 == "b" or $fontstyle1 == "bi") {echo "bold";} else {echo "normal";} ?>">
<?php
";

[Mittineague]

I understand about not wanting to change the code, but I think it may be more about making the least amount of changes rather than none at all if you want to use the code differently.
May I ask why you don't simply include the mark-up instead of having javascript write it? If it's because you only want javascript enabled users to see it, you could use javascript to change CSS. Maybe something like

<div name="from_output" style="display: none">
<?php
include 'display.output.php';
?.
</div>
<javascript ...
....
.... display: block;