Why is this not working when put in a variable?

[WaxyChicken]

this works:

echo("</table>");
echo("<br><BR><BR><BR>");
echo("URL file = ");
echo($urlFile);
echo("<BR>");
$urlFile = "" . $_GET['urlFile'];
echo("$get urlfile = ");
echo("*" . $urlFile . "*");
echo("<HR>");
echo ("Current Directory: " . getcwd() . "\n<BR>");
if ($urlFile = "")
{
	$urlFile = "index.html";
}



//$fh = fopen("index.html", 'r');
$fh = fopen("index.html", 'r');
$theData = fread($fh, filesize("index.html"));
fclose($fh);
echo $theData;

this does not....

echo("</table>");
echo("<br><BR><BR><BR>");
echo("URL file = ");
echo($urlFile);
echo("<BR>");
$urlFile = "" . $_GET['urlFile'];
echo("$get urlfile = ");
echo("*" . $urlFile . "*");
echo("<HR>");
echo ("Current Directory: " . getcwd() . "\n<BR>");
if ($urlFile = "")
{
	$urlFile = "index.html";
}



//$fh = fopen("index.html", 'r');
$fh = fopen($urlFile, 'r');
$theData = fread($fh, filesize($urlFile));
fclose($fh);
echo $theData;

the dubug output is the same:

 

urlfile = *index.html*

Current Directory: c:\inetpub\wwwroot

 

 

the errors it throws are:

 

[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file C:/inetpub/wwwroot/frametest.php on line 279: fopen(): Filename cannot be empty
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file C:/inetpub/wwwroot/frametest.php on line 280: fread() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file C:/inetpub/wwwroot/frametest.php on line 281: fclose() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given

 

how can $urlFile be the same in both examples, but not the name of a file in the second example?

i'm using
$urlFile = "" . $_GET['urlFile'];
for the second example.   eg: http://www.MYSITE.com/myPHPscript.php?urlFile=index.html

Edited October 5, 2015 by WaxyChicken

[Barand]

this line

if ($urlFile = "")

sets the $urlFile to ''

 

You need the comparison operator "==" and not the assignment operator "="

[WaxyChicken]

BINGO!

thank you.

it was the result of me not having PHP as my first language.