password protect a single file ?

I want to make a text file (located under /home/public_html) to be viewable through a browser by me only.
One way is to make it password protected, I know how to do this through cpanel for a directory but I don't know how to do it for a single file, also I don't want to move the file in to a private directory because the file already been used in many places ?

any idea ?

 

Hi,

You may follow the steps given in the following link
http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2007/01/09/password-protecting-single-file-htaccess.html

 

Thank you maestria.

 

This is protect directory, not single file.
Ex: http://site.com/DIR
Have 2 files: 1.php and 2.php in http://site.com/DIR
As your way:
If you browse http://site.com/DIR/1.php and http://site.com/DIR/2.php you must login.
But author want protect single file: http://site.com/DIR/1.php require login http://site.com/DIR/2.php don't require login

This is answer:

For PHP, Add this code after <?php :

$auth = 1; // Enable: 1, Disable: 0;
$name='admin';
$pass='password';
if($auth == 1) {
if (!isset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER']) || $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER']!==$name || $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW']!==$pass)
   {
   header('WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="Hey man! Please login"');
   header('HTTP/1.0 401 Unauthorized');
   exit("Oh no! You are bad man! <a href=http://www.fbi.gov>Exit Now</a>");
   }
}

PHP:

 

Or if you don't want to edit your files:

<FilesMatch "bar.html">
AuthName "Member Only"
AuthType Basic
AuthUserFile /html/username/.htpasswd
require valid-user
</FilesMatch>

Code (markup):

And of course, generate your .htpasswd to /html/username/.htpasswd

Hope that helps.