Filectime()

What is the filectime() Function?

The filectime() function is a built-in PHP function that returns the last change time of a file. This function returns a Unix timestamp representing the time the file was last changed.

Here's the basic syntax of the filectime() function:

filectime(filename);

Where filename is the name of the file to be checked.

How to Use the filectime() Function?

Using the filectime() function is straightforward. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Call the filectime() function, passing in the name of the file you want to check.
2. The function will return a Unix timestamp representing the time the file was last changed.
3. You can format the Unix timestamp using the date() function to display the time in a more human-readable format.

Here's an example code snippet that demonstrates how to use the filectime() function:

<?php

$filename = 'myfile.txt';
$last_change_time = filectime($filename);
$change_time_string = date('F d Y H:i:s.', $last_change_time);
echo "The file $filename was last changed on $change_time_string";

In this example, we check when the file myfile.txt was last changed using the filectime() function. We store the Unix timestamp representing the last change time in the $last_change_time variable. We then format the Unix timestamp using the date() function and store it in the $change_time_string variable. Finally, we output a message indicating when the file was last changed, using the formatted time string.

Conclusion

The filectime() function is a useful tool in PHP for checking when a file was last changed. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily use the filectime() function in your PHP projects to check when files were last changed.