From PHP, test if Apache variable is defined (same as IfDefine in .htaccess)

Question

How to test from PHP whether an Apache variable is defined? In .htaccess this is tested with IfDefine.

When starting Apache, I define a variable: in Windows with

httpd.exe -D "MYVARIABLE" -w -n "Apache2.2" -k start

and in Ubuntu adding to /etc/apache2/envvars:

export APACHE_ARGUMENTS='-D MYVARIABLE'

Now I can use it in .htaccess as

<IfDefine MYVARIABLE>
    do stuff
</IfDefine>

and it works.

How can I test for it from PHP? I tried

if (getenv ('MYVARIABLE')) do stuff;
if (apache_getenv ('MYVARIABLE')) do stuff;

but it always returns FALSE.

phpinfo ();

prints a lot of things but there is no string MYVARIABLE in its output.

Answer 1

Thanks to mario's comment, I think the answer is:

• On Windows, probably no way when the variable is set as a command line argument, such as

  httpd.exe -D "MYVARIABLE" -w -n "Apache2.2" -k start
  

• On Linux/Ubuntu, if it is set in /etc/apache2/envvars as

  export APACHE_ARGUMENTS='-D MYVARIABLE'
  

  then from PHP

  $x = getenv ('APACHE_ARGUMENTS')
  

  gives -D MYVARIABLE, from which you can use strstr ($x, 'MYVARIABLE') or so to find the variable.