Quick question about PHP/MySQL

[igowerf]

I have my database log-in code saved to a file called dbconnect.php. Whenever I need to use my database, I just include dbconnect.php at the beginning of the page. After I'm done using the database, is there something that I should do? Like close it or disconnect?

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

You can do mysql_close() if you want, but usually it's unnecessary, php's garbage collector will close the connection for you.

 

[igowerf]

Ok. Thanks. I guess I'll add it in to be safe. I have my index page include other pages like the menu, the content, the side panels, etc and most of the pages call on my database. I realized that on certain pages, dbconnect.php is included a couple times so I just wondered if I should at least mysql_close() before reopening.

 

[eklass]

you should always close files and disconenct when finished with a connection, but it's rarely done. php does a damn fine job of fixing at the end of execution. one reason why it's so handy

 

[FuzzyBee]

if you make your file a .php, doesn't that mean that anyone can read it and, therefore, find out your login and password for your db?

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: fuzzy bee
if you make your file a .php, doesn't that mean that anyone can read it and, therefore, find out your login and password for your db?

Depends on permissions. If it's world readable, then anyone with access to the machine can read it. Can website visitors read it? No -- although it is remotely possible, say you do an apache or php upgrade, or are putzing around with httpd.conf, something goes wrong, and you php files are now being served as plain text or something along those lines. The best way is to do something like including a seperate file with the password, and being careful with that file (putting out of the webroot, give it tight permissions, etc).