Fpassthru()

What is the fpassthru() Function?

The fpassthru() function is a built-in PHP function that reads the contents of a file and outputs them directly to the output buffer. This function is used to read large files without loading them into memory.

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

fpassthru(file);

Where file is the file pointer to read from.

How to Use the fpassthru() Function?

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

1. Call the fpassthru() function, passing in the file pointer to read from.
2. The function will read the contents of the file and output them directly to the output buffer.

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

<?php

$filename = 'largefile.txt';
$file = fopen($filename, 'r');
if ($file) {
   fpassthru($file);
   fclose($file);
} else {
   echo "Unable to open file!";
}

In this example, we open the file largefile.txt using the fopen() function in read-only mode. We check if the file was opened successfully using an if statement, and if it was, we output the contents of the file to the output buffer using the fpassthru() function before closing it using the fclose() function.

Conclusion

The fpassthru() function is a useful tool in PHP for reading large files without loading them into memory. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily use the fpassthru() function in your PHP projects to read the contents of files and output them to the output buffer.