Adding external HTML or PHP into a template

[calgarypuck]

Ok a little new to this still. As I understand it, if I wanted to execute some php code at a specific location that location is a hook. And to add that code, that's a plugin.

I guess the question is can I add a hook to the footer? I have a few external HTML and PHP code that I want to include in the wrapper around the board, and if I understand correctly I can't put the raw code in the header or footer templates.

EDIT: And for the external HTML, I don't want to have to edit the template directly to change the small chunk of HTML, in an external file is better in my case.

Or am I totally on the wrong track?

TIA

[feldon23]

Templates were not designed for this. Allowing templates to execute meaningful PHP code might be a security risk and I am sure there were performance reasons for not allowing this as well.

Inserting PHP code or an external HTML file is handled by Plug-ins.

AdminCP -> Plugin System -> Add New Plugin

Choose 'global_start' as the Location/Hook then paste this code:

ob_start();
include_once('./other.php');
$otherphp = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();

where other.php is the name of your php or html file (header.html, special_content.html, mystuff.php, etc.). You can rename $otherphp, the variable that the file is loaded into, to something else in case you intend to read multiple files and embed them in your site.

Then add the $variable to the template you wish that content to appear in.

For instance, I create a plugin "Banner Ads":

ob_start();
 include_once('./banner_ad_code.php');
 $banner_ad_code= ob_get_contents();
 ob_end_clean();

then I edit my navbar template and add $banner_ad_code wherever I want and the contents of banner_ad_code.php will be executed and pasted there.

[calgarypuck]

Excellent! That's exactly what I need, many thanks for your help.