Include Issue Calling an External PHP Script from Expression Engine

Question

I'm trying to call an external PHP script from an Expression Engine form response template that sends emails using Mandrill API. The script I have works on regular PHP, I have tested it, but there is some sort of issue with the path for the includes. I've double checked the absolute paths and they are correct. Anyone see an issue?

require_once '/www/host/public_html/mandrill-api-php/Mandrill.php';
require_once '/www/host/public_html/mandrill-api-php/madrillSend.php';

$msg = "TEST MESSAGE";

$location = "{location}";
$ebrochure = "{ebrochure}"; 

$output = SendMandrill($location, $msg, $ebrochure);

echo $output;

=================================================

function SendMandrill($location, $msg, $ebrochure) {

    $mandrill = new Mandrill('xxx');
    $message = array(
        'html' => null,
        'text' => $msg,
        'subject' => $subj,
        'from_email' => 'leads@yourdomain.com',
        'from_name' => 'Leads Account',
        'to' => array('email' => 'jon@otherdomain.com', 'type' => 'to),
        'headers' => array('Reply-To' => 'leads@yourdomain.com'),
        'important' => false,
    );

    $async = false;
    $ip_pool = 'Main Pool';
    $send_at = '';
    $result = $mandrill->messages->send($message, $async, $ip_pool, $send_at);
    return $result;

}

==================================================

Warning: require_once(/www/host/public_html/mandrill-api-php/madrillSend.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /www/host/public_html/system/core/core.functions.php(634) : eval()'d code on line 15

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/www/host/public_html/mandrill-api-php/madrillSend.php' (include_path='.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/phpz ) in /www/host/public_html/system/core/core.functions.php(634) : eval()'d code on line 15

Answer 1

What have you tried? There are all these variations (assuming /www/host/public_html/ is where your EE install is and is your document root):

require_once('/www/host/public_html/mandrill-api-php/Mandrill.php');

require_once('../../../../../mandrill-api-php/Mandrill.php';

require_once(realpath($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]) . 'mandrill-api-php/Mandrill.php');

require_once($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . 'mandrill-api-php/Mandrill.php');

and like 10 others. It's always possible the error is reporting the path you put in, but it actuality it's trying to load it from a relative path because EE or CI set's an environment thing. Just guessing a little, but try out some varaitions and report back.

Are file permissions all correct? Do you have two different PHP agents (one for EE core, one running everything else)?

edit Are these templates set on PHP Input or Output?? If set on Input, your $location and $ebrochure variables won't get set properly.