PHP file() Function

❮ PHP Filesystem Reference

Example

Read a file into an array:

<?php
print_r(file("test.txt"));
?>
Run Example »

Definition and Usage

The file() reads a file into an array.

Each array element contains a line from the file, with the newline character still attached.

Syntax

file(filename, flag, context)

Parameter Values

Parameter Description
filename Required. Specifies the path to the file to read
flag Optional. Can be one or more of the following constants:
  • FILE_USE_INCLUDE_PATH - Search for the file in the include_path (in php.ini)
  • FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES - Skip the newline at the end of each array element
  • FILE_SKIP_EMPTY_LINES - Skip empty lines in the file
context Optional. Specifies the context of the file handle. Context is a set of options that can modify the behavior of a stream. Can be skipped by using NULL.


Technical Details

Return Value: The entire file in an array, FALSE on failure
PHP Version: 4.0+
Binary Safe: Yes, in PHP 4.3

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