do includes slow down page load times ?

Started by ak47, 05-19-2010, 05:30:58

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ak47Topic starter

If you run a site which makes use of includes does that load slower than a site which doesn't have to pull in external files? I would think yes, but even if it does will that play any part in your optimisation plans ?

certainly having includes is really helpful from a development perspective!
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Alex

It depends which includes you mean.
If php or asp, it can slow down pages if script is too complex.
Otherwise there is no differences.
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ryosuzuki

#2
Including external files in a website can potentially slow down the loading time, as each include statement requires an additional server request. However, this impact is minimal and often negligible, especially with modern web servers and caching mechanisms.

In terms of optimization plans, it is important to focus on other factors that have a more significant impact on performance, such as image optimization, code minification, caching strategies, and efficient use of resources. While including external files may have a minor effect, it is generally not a top priority in optimization efforts.

PHP and ASP are server-side scripting languages that support the use of include statements to include external files into a web page.

In PHP, the include statement is used to insert the contents of another PHP file into the current file. This can be useful for modularizing code or reusing common elements across multiple pages. There are also variations like `include_once` and `require` which have slightly different behavior.

ASP, on the other hand, uses the `<!--#include -->` directive to include files. This is typically done within an ASP file using Server-Side Include (SSI) syntax. Like PHP, this allows for code reuse and modularity.

Both PHP and ASP include statements have minimal impact on page load speed, especially when used with proper caching and optimization techniques. The performance impact is generally outweighed by the benefits of code organization and maintainability.

In PHP, the include statement pulls in the contents of another PHP file and executes it as part of the current script. If the included file cannot be found, a warning is issued, but the script continues to run. On the other hand, the require statement behaves similarly to include, but if the included file is not found, it generates a fatal error and halts the script execution. This can be useful when including essential files that are crucial for the script to function correctly.

To avoid including the same file multiple times, you can use `include_once` or `require_once` instead. These statements check if the file has been included before and only include it if hasn't already been included. This prevents multiple inclusion and potential issues with redeclaring functions or classes.

In ASP, the `<!--#include -->` directive is used to include external files. Unlike PHP, ASP includes are processed by the server before the resulting HTML is sent to the client browser. This can be beneficial in terms of performance, as the server-side processing reduces the amount of data sent over the network.

An important point to consider in both PHP and ASP includes is the file path. You need to ensure that the path to the included file is correct, so it can be located and included successfully. Relative paths and absolute paths can be used depending on your requirements.

more details about includes in PHP and ASP:

1. In PHP, the include statement allows you to include files with different extensions, such as `.php`, `.html`, or even `.txt` files. This flexibility can be useful when including non-PHP files that contain static content.

2. In ASP, server-side includes (SSI) offer additional functionality beyond including files. You can use SSI directives like `#echo`, `#if`, and `#exec` to perform various tasks within the included file, such as displaying variables, conditional statements, or executing external programs.

3. Both PHP and ASP provide the ability to pass variables to included files. With PHP, you can simply pass variables through the global scope, making them accessible in the included file. In ASP, you can use the `<!--#set var="variableName" value="variableValue" -->` directive to set variables that can be accessed within the included file.

4. It's important to consider security when including files. Avoid using user-provided input directly in an include statement, as it can lead to security vulnerabilities like remote code execution. Always sanitize and validate user input before using it in an include statement to prevent potential attacks.

5. In complex applications, it's common to have multiple levels of includes, where one file includes another file that includes yet another file. While this can aid code organization, it's essential to maintain a clear hierarchy and avoid excessive nesting to prevent confusion and potential performance issues.

6. In both PHP and ASP, it's a good practice to define a specific include path to ensure consistent and reliable inclusion of files. By setting an include path, you can reference included files using a consistent syntax and easily update the location of included files if needed.

few more important points about includes in PHP and ASP:

1. Caching: Caching mechanisms can significantly optimize the performance of including files. Both PHP and ASP provide options for caching included files. For example, in PHP, you can use opcode caching tools like APC or OPcache to cache the compiled version of included files, reducing the need for repeated parsing and execution.

2. Conditional Includes: You can use conditional statements to include files based on certain conditions. This allows you to dynamically include different files depending on factors such as user input, device type, or authentication status. This flexibility can be valuable for building responsive and personalized web applications.

3. Autoloading: In PHP, the use of autoloading classes has become a common practice. Instead of manually including every class file, you can define an autoloader function that automatically loads the necessary class files when they are required. This eliminates the need for explicit include statements throughout your codebase.

4. Preprocessing: Both PHP and ASP include files during server-side processing, which means the included content is embedded directly into the final HTML sent to the client browser. This can be advantageous for preprocessing tasks such as database queries, calculations, or other dynamic content generation that needs to occur before the page is rendered.

5. Code Organization: Includes allow you to organize your code into separate files based on functionality or purpose. This modular approach can improve code readability, maintainability, and reusability. By separating concerns into different files, it becomes easier to locate and update specific parts of your codebase.

6. Performance Monitoring: It's essential to monitor the performance of your website or application, including the impact of include statements. Tools like profiling and monitoring software can help identify bottlenecks and optimize your code accordingly.


Includes slow down sites by a microsecond, maybe a nano-second, it's so small it's not even worth worrying about. Again the presumption is that the include is just a simple HTML type include not one that does a server side call.

Yuga

There are many different factors that affect page load time. The speed at which a page loads depends on the hosting server, amount of bandwidth in transit, and web page design – as well as the number, type, and weight of elements on the page. Other factors include user location, device, and browser type.