PHP file_get_contents() Function

❮ PHP Filesystem Reference

Example

Read a file into a string:

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

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

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