Quick questions part II - pre-portfolio submission

So, I've trimmed down and commented all my code and everything is uploaded to the host and working, but before I do my final submission upload I just have one quick question.

I know in the portfolio brief the one requirement is to have a connect.php file to handle the DB connections, and that this file should then be included on all the other pages.

The problem I have is that I do have the connect.php file that handles the DB connections, but then I include this in my functions.php file, where I have a class and another function that then handles all the data queries to the DB. I then include the
functions.php file in all my other pages, which effectively means that the connect.php is indirectly included in them all as well.

I do make mention of the fact that connect.php is included in functions.php that is then included in my pages in my comments on all the pages, but my question is, will this be acceptable, or will I be penalised for not explicitly including connect.php in every page as per the portfolio brief?

While there is no problem doing it this way, the markers and I do check for the presence of a connect file, so make sure there vis at least a connect.php file in the zip file, and note it clearly in a comment on the function include line.

I should be OK then since I do have the connect.php file included as per the brief, and in all my pages I have the following comment related to the omission of connect.php from the normal pages:

Language: PHP
// include functions.php, contains all function required to access DB and build customised html code for
// all webpages in this website
// connect.php is not included on individual pages since it';s included in functions.php, where a function
// uses connect.php to communicate with the DB
include_once("functions.php");

Ok, portfolio uploaded and website tested, but I just remembered something that I read quite a while ago in the tut 101 letter Appendix:

Quote

We expect all students to actively participate in the forum and help answering questions from
fellow students, where possible. As a PHP-developer you WILL spend hours on Internet forums
seeking solutions to problems. It is generally accepted that one should not just ask questions
and not be prepared to answer a few as well. We want to nurture this culture of sharing, hence
we emphasize active participation. Add your posts (questions you have asked and further
responses by you in that thread) to the active participation page on your web site.

Is this active participation page a requirement for our portfolio?

No, it is not. At one stage I was considering awarding marks for active participation. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion you learn more by helping other students.