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1

I have a JavaScript file which has a hard coded BASEURL variable, this value is then used by other functions in the file. I would like for this url value to be set dynamically so that I don't need to manually change it for different installs. Is it possible to insert a PHP variable value into a JavaScript file?

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Yes, it is possible. –  Aurelio De Rosa Jan 17 '12 at 11:14
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4 Answers

up vote 5 down vote accepted

Rather than try to mix PHP into javascript files, here's what I do in the HTML template:

<head>
    <script>
        var BASEURL = "<?php echo base_url(); ?>";
    </script>
    <script src="/path/to/my_script1.js"></script>
    <script src="/path/to/my_script2.js"></script>
</head>

This sets the variable and allows all your embedded scripts to access it. base_url() would be replaced by whatever method you use to fetch the base url with PHP.

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Can we are able to do <?php echo base_url(); ?> in .js file? –  Somnath Muluk Feb 13 '12 at 11:13
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up vote 1 down vote

Suppose you have a JS file written on the fly by PHP; file1.php

<?php
  header('Content-Type: application/javascript');
  $var = $_GET['var1'];
  echo "jsvar = ".$var.";";
?>

The client-side source code of file1.php?var1=10 will then be

jsvar=10;
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up vote 1 down vote

There exists several ways:

  1. Load the baseurl via AJAX, but maybe this is to slow, maybe you need it earlier.

  2. let the javascript file running through the php parser. Then you could use inline echos.

  3. The most convenient and easiest way, is to make a <script>var baseurl = '...';</script> in the html/php output of your page.

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Via AJAX? That's pretty awful - would you do that? –  Wesley Murch Jan 17 '12 at 11:24
    
No I wouldn't, but it is possible. I would do the last point. –  Armin Jan 17 '12 at 11:31
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up vote 1 down vote

You will need to make your file a php file, not a js file. From there you can include any PHP tags in the file to work your dynamic magic. The key to make this whole thing work is in the headers, which you will need to set like so:

<?php
    Header("content-type: application/x-javascript");
      echo 'var js_var = ' . $php_var;
?>
alert (js_var);

This technique can be used to for CSS files as well.

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application/x-javascript? application/javascript has been standard for years. –  Quentin Jan 17 '12 at 11:24
1  
Thanks for all the feedback guys! Went with the solution suggested by Madmartigan in the finish, works a treat :) –  Cronin O'M Jan 17 '12 at 13:15
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