< Complete PHP Filesystem Reference
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. Because 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 | Description |
|---|---|
| path | Required. Specifies 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. This parameter was added in PHP 5.1 |
| max_length | Optional. Specifies how many bytes to read. This parameter was added in PHP 5.1 |
Tips and Notes
Tip: This function is binary-safe (meaning that both binary data, like images, and character data can be written with this function).
Example
<?php
echo file_get_contents("test.txt");
?>
The output of the code above will be:
This is a test file with test text.
< Complete PHP Filesystem Reference