Filemtime()

What is the filemtime() Function?

The filemtime() function is a built-in PHP function that returns the last modification time of a file. This function returns a Unix timestamp representing the time the file was last modified.

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

filemtime(filename);

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

How to Use the filemtime() Function?

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

1. Call the filemtime() 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 modified.
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 filemtime() function:

<?php

$filename = 'myfile.txt';
$last_modified_time = filemtime($filename);
$modified_time_string = date('F d Y H:i:s.', $last_modified_time);
echo "The file $filename was last modified on $modified_time_string";

In this example, we check when the file myfile.txt was last modified using the filemtime() function. We store the Unix timestamp representing the last modification time in the $last_modified_time variable. We then format the Unix timestamp using the date() function and store it in the $modified_time_string variable. Finally, we output a message indicating when the file was last modified, using the formatted time string.

Conclusion

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