PHP Functions Essential Reference

virtual

int virtual(string URI) 

Performs an Apache subrequest to parse and include a file.

Returns:

TRUE if successful; FALSE on error

Description:

This function enables you to perform an Apache subrequest. It performs the same function that mod_include allows you to perform (<!--#include virtual...-->) , but you can access the feature from within PHP scripts. This is useful if you want to include the output of a CGI script within your PHP file, for example. You can’t use virtual() on PHP files; use include() instead.

Version:

Existing since version 3.0

Warning:

In versions prior to 3.0.13, it was possible to use virtual() on PHP files under some circumstances.

Example:

Include the output of a Perl CGI script

$script = "/cgi-bin/script.pl"; ...