0037018: The `require_once()` function is called more times than necessary when loading the API. - MantisBT

ID	Project	Category	View Status	Date Submitted	Last Update
0037018	mantisbt	performance	public	2026-04-12 09:17	2026-04-18 05:33

Reporter	raspopov	Assigned To	dregad
Priority	normal	Severity	minor	Reproducibility	always
Status	resolved	Resolution	fixed
Product Version	2.28.1
Target Version	2.29.0	Fixed in Version	2.29.0

Summary	0037018: The `require_once()` function is called more times than necessary when loading the API.
Description	While investigating issue 0036819, I discovered that the `require_api()` function calls `require_once()` more often than necessary, and even recursively. For example, 63 files are loaded from the API via 88 calls for the file `my_view_page.php`, even though there should obviously only be 63. This process involves 716 calls to the `require_api()` function.
Additional Information	The table below lists the API file calls in the order that the `require_once()` calls are completed, along with the number of calls: php_api.php \| 4 #### constant_inc.php \| 62 ############################################################## authentication_api.php \| 29 ############################# access_api.php \| 33 ################################# bug_api.php \| 26 ########################## config_api.php \| 55 ####################################################### compress_api.php \| 3 ### database_api.php \| 33 ################################# current_user_api.php \| 21 ##################### error_api.php \| 29 ############################# http_api.php \| 2 ## gpc_api.php \| 12 ############ tokens_api.php \| 3 ### utility_api.php \| 34 ################################## collapse_api.php \| 5 ##### html_api.php \| 9 ######### events_inc.php \| 1 # plugin_api.php \| 4 #### event_api.php \| 10 ########## antispam_api.php \| 4 #### helper_api.php \| 38 ###################################### history_api.php \| 12 ############ category_api.php \| 13 ############# bug_revision_api.php \| 3 ### email_api.php \| 8 ######## file_api.php \| 13 ############# lang_api.php \| 35 ################################### mention_api.php \| 3 ### filter_api.php \| 11 ########### logging_api.php \| 8 ######## user_api.php \| 24 ######################## ldap_api.php \| 2 ## project_api.php \| 22 ###################### project_hierarchy_api.php \| 5 ##### bugnote_api.php \| 6 ###### string_api.php \| 23 ####################### user_pref_api.php \| 8 ######## custom_field_api.php \| 9 ######### email_queue_api.php \| 2 ## crypto_api.php \| 5 ##### session_api.php \| 3 ### form_api.php \| 4 #### date_api.php \| 4 #### version_api.php \| 5 ##### prepare_api.php \| 4 #### bug_group_action_api.php \| 1 # last_visited_api.php \| 1 # news_api.php \| 3 ### profile_api.php \| 2 ## tag_api.php \| 4 #### print_api.php \| 16 ################ relationship_api.php \| 5 ##### sponsorship_api.php \| 4 #### columns_api.php \| 4 #### icon_api.php \| 8 ######## filter_constants_inc.php \| 11 ########### filter_form_api.php \| 1 # rss_api.php \| 1 # layout_api.php \| 2 ## api_token_api.php \| 1 # summary_api.php \| 1 # custom_function_api.php \| 1 # timeline_api.php \| 1 #
Tags	No tags attached.

raspopov 2026-04-12 09:27 reporter ~0070973	PR: https://github.com/mantisbt/mantisbt/pull/2207

dregad 2026-04-12 10:34 developer ~0070974	The high number of require_api() calls is not so surprising, considering the complex inter-dependencies between the various API files in the MantisBT core. Most files are included by core.php, and requiring API files again in individual scripts is often redundant. require_api() was introduced by @dhx in 2010, see MantisBT master 2d5455cc, replacing earlier use of require_once in core.php (MantisBT master ea3cd389). The purpose of these changes was to load the most important APIs as part of core avoid having to worry about indirect dependencies (e.g. I want to use gpc_api.php, so I need to include constant_inc.php and error_api.php first). optimize for performance - require_once execution was costlier than checking for an array key. From the commit message: require_api and require_lib use a global array to keep track of which files have already been included. This is a much simpler check than what is performed by require_once and hence avoids expensive checking for symlinks with stat() calls and so forth. That being said, I'm not really sure why he set the flag in the array after the require_once call, maybe the idea was to indicate that the API was fully loaded and available.. In any case, the proposed change goes along the initial intent, so I think it's good, assuming you have tested that changing this does not introduce any regression.

raspopov 2026-04-12 12:26 reporter ~0070975	That being said, I'm not really sure why he set the flag in the array after the require_once call, maybe the idea was to indicate that the API was fully loaded and available.. The current use of the flag opens the door to recursive calls, and the flag may be set to 1 multiple times (repeatedly). Furthermore, it is not checked anywhere else except at this point...

MantisBT: master 87fdaa05 2026-04-12 09:24 raspopov Committer: dregad Details Diff	Fix extra require_once() calls from require_api() To prevent recursive calls to the require_api() function, move the loading flag after require_once() to before it. Fixes 0037018.		Affected Issues 0037018
	mod - core.php		Diff File
MantisBT: master 34bbf8f5 2026-04-15 11:05 raspopov Committer: dregad Details Diff	Fix require_lib() in the same way Also arrays has been formatted. Fixes 0037018		Affected Issues 0037018
	mod - core.php		Diff File