PHP File Handling (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 04 Apr, 2025

File handling allows the developers to interact with the server’s file system, which is essential for tasks like saving data, processing user-uploaded files, and generating dynamic content. PHP File Handling enables developers to read from and write to files, making it a core feature for web applications. Without file handling, managing files such as images, documents, and text would be difficult.

In this article, we’ll discuss file handling in PHP, its types, and its functionality.

What is File Handling in PHP?

In PHP, File handling is the process of interacting with files on the server, such as reading files, writing to a file, creating new files, or deleting existing ones. File handling is essential for applications that require the storage and retrieval of data, such as logging systems, user-generated content, or file uploads.

Types of File Operations in PHP

Several types of file operations can be performed in PHP:

• **Reading Files: PHP allows you to read data from files either entirely or line by line.
• **Writing to Files: You can write data to a file, either overwriting existing content or appending to the end.
• **File Metadata: PHP allows you to gather information about files, such as their size, type, and last modified time.
• **File Uploading: PHP can handle file uploads via forms, enabling users to submit files to the server.

Common File Handling Functions in PHP

• **fopen() – Opens a file
• **fclose() – Closes a file
• **fread() – Reads data from a file
• **fwrite() – Writes data to a file
• **file_exists() – Checks if a file exists
• **unlink() – Deletes a file

Opening and Closing Files

Before you can read or write to a file, you need to open it using the fopen() function, which returns a file pointer resource. Once you’re done working with the file, you should close it using fclose() to free up resources.

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File Modes in PHP

Files can be opened in any of the following modes:

• **“w” – Opens a file for writing only. If the file does not exist, then a new file is created, and if the file already exists, then the file will be truncated (the contents of the file are erased).
• **“r” – File is open for reading only.
• **“a” – File is open for writing only. The file pointer points to the end of the file. Existing data in the file is preserved.
• **“w+” – Opens file for reading and writing both. If the file does not exist, then a new file is created, and if the file already exists, then the contents of the file are erased.
• **“r+” – File is open for reading and writing both.
• **“a+” – File is open for write/read. The file pointer points to the end of the file. Existing data in the file is preserved. If the file is not there, then a new file is created.
• **“x” – New file is created for write only.

Reading from Files

There are two ways to read the contents of a file in PHP. These are –

1. Reading the Entire File

You can read the entire content of a file using the fread() function or the file_get_contents() function.

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2. Reading a File Line by Line

You can use the fgets() function to read a file line by line.

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Writing to Files

You can write to files using the fwrite() function. It writes data to an open file in the specified mode.

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Deleting Files

Use the unlink() function to delete the file in PHP.

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