How to Run a PHP File Without a .Php Extension

When PHP is installed and set up on a web server, an association will be created between files that end with the letters "php" and the PHP processor program. In order to allow the PHP processor to accept files that do not end with the file extension php, a line needs to be added to the .htaccess file that controls how files are associated with applications. Adding one line will allow you to associate any file ending with your PHP processor.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Open your .htaccess file for editing. This file will be in the same directory as your web files that you want to use. If the file does not exist, you can create it using any plain text editor.

2. Add a line to the .htaccess file as follows:
   AddHandler x-httpd-php .xxx
   Replace the xxx in that line with the file extension you want to use for your php files.

3. Save the .htaccess file.

4. Re-start your web server. All files with the .xxx ending that you provided that are accessed through the web server will now be processed through the PHP processor before being delivered by the web server.

Tips & Warnings

• When you add the line in your .htaccess file, capitalization matters. If you need to create the .htaccess file, be sure the file name begins with a period or this will not work.
• Be careful associating other named file extensions to the php engine--you can create instances where the wrong files will be processed by the PHP engine, causing garbled output on your web server.

References

• .htaccess Files