title: include external php files
body: <p>I am using some php code like database connection which is common for all the pages, so I created a php file which contains the php code and then I am including this file in my HTML code,
  So I want to know the better way to include php file, better alternative for include function.
  my example code is here</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;?php
      include "check_timeout.php";
      include "connect_to_db.php";
  ?&gt;
  &lt;html&gt;
  &lt;head&gt;
      &lt;title&gt;Example&lt;/title&gt;
  &lt;/head&gt;
  &lt;body&gt;
  &lt;?php
      mysql_close($con);
  ?&gt;
  &lt;/body&gt;
  &lt;/html&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Thank you in advance.</p>