PHP file_get_contents() Function

Example

Read a file into a string:

<?php
echo file_get_contents("test.txt");
?>

Definition and Usage

The file_get_contents() reads a file into a string.

This function is the preferred way to read the contents of a file into a string. It will use memory mapping techniques, if this is supported by the server, to enhance performance.

Syntax

file_get_contents(path, include_path, context, start, max_length)

Parameter Values

Parameter	Description
path	Required. Specifies the path to the file to read
include_path	Optional. Set this parameter to '1' if you want to search for the file in the include_path (in php.ini) as well
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.
start	Optional. Specifies where in the file to start reading. Negative values count from the end of the file
max_length	Optional. Specifies the maximum length of data read. Default is read to EOF

Technical Details

Return Value:	The entire file in a string, FALSE on failure
PHP Version:	4.3+
Binary Safe:	Yes, in PHP 4.3
PHP Changelog:	PHP 7.1 - Support for negative values in start parameter PHP 5.1 - Added the start and max_length parameters

❮ PHP Filesystem Reference