The readfile Function

The readfile function reads a file and immediately sends its contents to the output buffer. It returns the number of bytes read or false in case of an error. The first parameter is the path to the file, the second (optional) is the flag to search for the file in the include_path, the third (optional) is the stream context.

Syntax

readfile(
	string $filename,
	bool $use_include_path = false,
	?resource $context = null
): int|false

Example

Let's output the contents of a text file:

<?php
	$res = readfile('example.txt');
	echo "read bytes: " . $res;
?>

Example

Let's try to read a non-existent file:

<?php
	$res = readfile('nonexistent.txt');
	
	if ($res === false) {
		echo "Failed to read file";
	}
?>

Example

Using the include_path flag:

<?php
	$res = readfile('config.ini', true);
	echo $res !== false ? "Read success" : "Read failed";
?>

The readfile Function

Syntax

Example

Example

Example

See Also