wp-config.php defining value of ABSPATH

It's actually defined in wp-load.php and the correct way of including just
WordPress(without parsing the request and displaying the correct template)
is actually by including wp-load.php and not wp-config.php.

Basically wp-load.php looks in two locations for wp-config.php:

ABSPATH . 'wp-config.php'

and

dirname( ABSPATH ) . '/wp-config.php'

In the second case, wp-load.php also makes sure that in the directory where
the wp-config.php resides there is no wp-settings.php, because if there is,
that means that this wp-config file is actually part of a different
install.

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
Hi,
I'm just a beginner to wordpress so it might sound a little naive, in
wp-config.php file we have following lines of code just before including
'wp-settings.php'
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
Seems useless to me as we already define ABSPATH in wp-blog-header.php and
suppose if we directly open our wp-config.php file then also if it is a
level above the wordpress root directory the ABSPATH is set to the
directory a level above the wordpress root directory which gives a fatal
error when we include the wp-settings.php file in the next step.Can't we do
it like this?
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
if(file_exists(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php'))
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');
It helps in removing the Fatal error which might occur.
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers

Utkarsh Dixit

2014-02-09 16:00:04 UTC

What I meant was let my wordpress be installed in a location like

http://example.com/web/wp/

but my wp-config.php file (not any other) is in

http://example.com/web/

folder, then if I open

http://example.com/web/wp-config.php

it will give a fatal error on the line :

require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');

because of the condition

if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');

Thanks for pointing out that it is defined in wp-load.php probably mixed
up the names (being still new to wordpress).

Post by Nikola Nikolov
It's actually defined in wp-load.php and the correct way of including just
WordPress(without parsing the request and displaying the correct template)
is actually by including wp-load.php and not wp-config.php.
ABSPATH . 'wp-config.php'
and
dirname( ABSPATH ) . '/wp-config.php'
In the second case, wp-load.php also makes sure that in the directory where
the wp-config.php resides there is no wp-settings.php, because if there is,
that means that this wp-config file is actually part of a different
install.

and

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
suppose if we directly open our wp-config.php file then also if it is a
level above the wordpress root directory the ABSPATH is set to the
directory a level above the wordpress root directory which gives a fatal
error when we include the wp-settings.php file in the next step.Can't we

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
it like this?
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
if(file_exists(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php'))
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');
It helps in removing the Fatal error which might occur.
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers

_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers

Nikola Nikolov

2014-02-09 16:01:09 UTC

I'm still not sure why you would open wp-config.php :)

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
What I meant was let my wordpress be installed in a location like
http://example.com/web/wp/
but my wp-config.php file (not any other) is in
http://example.com/web/
folder, then if I open
http://example.com/web/wp-config.php
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');
because of the condition
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
Thanks for pointing out that it is defined in wp-load.php probably mixed
up the names (being still new to wordpress).

Post by Nikola Nikolov
It's actually defined in wp-load.php and the correct way of including

just

Post by Nikola Nikolov
WordPress(without parsing the request and displaying the correct

template)

Post by Nikola Nikolov
is actually by including wp-load.php and not wp-config.php.
ABSPATH . 'wp-config.php'
and
dirname( ABSPATH ) . '/wp-config.php'
In the second case, wp-load.php also makes sure that in the directory

where

Post by Nikola Nikolov
the wp-config.php resides there is no wp-settings.php, because if there

is,

Post by Nikola Nikolov
that means that this wp-config file is actually part of a different
install.

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
Hi,
I'm just a beginner to wordpress so it might sound a little naive, in
wp-config.php file we have following lines of code just before

including

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
'wp-settings.php'
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
Seems useless to me as we already define ABSPATH in wp-blog-header.php

and

fatal

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
error when we include the wp-settings.php file in the next step.Can't

_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers

Utkarsh Dixit

2014-02-09 16:02:14 UTC

Yeah, that's that :)

Thanks.

Andrew Nacin

2014-02-09 16:07:24 UTC

wp-load.php was new in WordPress 2.6 when we made it so you could put
WordPress in its own directory but leave wp-config.php outside of it (for
SVN externals & git submodules reasons). The include from wp-config.php is
there for backwards compatibility reasons, and yes obviously doesn't work
in this setup.

https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/6933

Post by Nikola Nikolov
It's actually defined in wp-load.php and the correct way of including

just

Post by Nikola Nikolov
WordPress(without parsing the request and displaying the correct

template)

where

Post by Nikola Nikolov
the wp-config.php resides there is no wp-settings.php, because if there

is,

Post by Nikola Nikolov
that means that this wp-config file is actually part of a different
install.

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
Hi,
I'm just a beginner to wordpress so it might sound a little naive, in
wp-config.php file we have following lines of code just before

including

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
'wp-settings.php'
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
Seems useless to me as we already define ABSPATH in wp-blog-header.php

and

fatal

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
error when we include the wp-settings.php file in the next step.Can't

_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers

Utkarsh Dixit

2014-02-09 16:37:17 UTC

@Andrew Nacin
Won't adding this condition be better?

if(file_exists(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php'))
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');

Post by Andrew Nacin
wp-load.php was new in WordPress 2.6 when we made it so you could put
WordPress in its own directory but leave wp-config.php outside of it (for
SVN externals & git submodules reasons). The include from wp-config.php is
there for backwards compatibility reasons, and yes obviously doesn't work
in this setup.
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/6933

Post by Nikola Nikolov
It's actually defined in wp-load.php and the correct way of including

just

Post by Nikola Nikolov
WordPress(without parsing the request and displaying the correct

template)

where

Post by Nikola Nikolov
the wp-config.php resides there is no wp-settings.php, because if there

is,

Post by Nikola Nikolov
that means that this wp-config file is actually part of a different
install.
On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 3:58 PM, Utkarsh Dixit <

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
Hi,
I'm just a beginner to wordpress so it might sound a little naive, in
wp-config.php file we have following lines of code just before

including

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
'wp-settings.php'
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
Seems useless to me as we already define ABSPATH in

wp-blog-header.php

Post by Nikola Nikolov
and

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
suppose if we directly open our wp-config.php file then also if it

is a

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
level above the wordpress root directory the ABSPATH is set to the
directory a level above the wordpress root directory which gives a

fatal

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
error when we include the wp-settings.php file in the next step.Can't

_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers

Andrew Nacin

2014-02-09 16:53:52 UTC

That's a wasted stat call to see if the file exists. If the constant is
already defined (as it should be, if wp-load.php is the entry point), then
nothing will happen. If wp-config.php is somehow the entry point and WP
isn't in a subdirectory (by far most common), then it'll still work (this
is the back compat).

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
@Andrew Nacin
Won't adding this condition be better?
if(file_exists(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php'))
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');

Post by Andrew Nacin
there for backwards compatibility reasons, and yes obviously doesn't work
in this setup.
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/6933

mixed

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
up the names (being still new to wordpress).

Post by Nikola Nikolov
It's actually defined in wp-load.php and the correct way of including

just

Post by Nikola Nikolov
WordPress(without parsing the request and displaying the correct

template)

where

Post by Nikola Nikolov
the wp-config.php resides there is no wp-settings.php, because if

there

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
is,

Post by Nikola Nikolov
that means that this wp-config file is actually part of a different
install.
On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 3:58 PM, Utkarsh Dixit <

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
Hi,
I'm just a beginner to wordpress so it might sound a little naive,

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
wp-config.php file we have following lines of code just before

including

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
'wp-settings.php'
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
Seems useless to me as we already define ABSPATH in

wp-blog-header.php

Post by Nikola Nikolov
and

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
suppose if we directly open our wp-config.php file then also if it

is a

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
level above the wordpress root directory the ABSPATH is set to the
directory a level above the wordpress root directory which gives a

fatal

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
error when we include the wp-settings.php file in the next

step.Can't

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
we

_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers

Utkarsh Dixit

2014-02-09 16:55:29 UTC

Hmmmm, I get it now

Thanks.

Post by Andrew Nacin
That's a wasted stat call to see if the file exists. If the constant is
already defined (as it should be, if wp-load.php is the entry point), then
nothing will happen. If wp-config.php is somehow the entry point and WP
isn't in a subdirectory (by far most common), then it'll still work (this
is the back compat).

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
@Andrew Nacin
Won't adding this condition be better?
if(file_exists(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php'))
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');

Post by Andrew Nacin
wp-load.php was new in WordPress 2.6 when we made it so you could put
WordPress in its own directory but leave wp-config.php outside of it

(for

Post by Andrew Nacin
SVN externals & git submodules reasons). The include from wp-config.php

Post by Andrew Nacin
there for backwards compatibility reasons, and yes obviously doesn't

work

Post by Andrew Nacin
in this setup.
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/6933

mixed

Post by Utkarsh Dixit
up the names (being still new to wordpress).
On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 9:16 PM, Nikola Nikolov <

Post by Nikola Nikolov
It's actually defined in wp-load.php and the correct way of

including