Ftp_mdtm()

What is ftp_mdtm()?

The ftp_mdtm() function is a PHP built-in function that retrieves the last modified time of the specified file on the FTP server. The function takes two parameters:

1. ftp_stream: The connection identifier returned by the ftp_connect() function.
2. remote_file: The file to retrieve the last modified time of.

The function returns the last modified time of the file as a Unix timestamp. If the file doesn't exist or the connection identifier is invalid, the function returns false.

Syntax of ftp_mdtm()

The syntax of the ftp_mdtm() function is as follows:

int ftp_mdtm ( resource $ftp_stream , string $remote_file )

The ftp_mdtm() function takes two parameters: ftp_stream and remote_file. The ftp_stream parameter is the connection identifier returned by the ftp_connect() function. The remote_file parameter is the file to retrieve the last modified time of.

Usage of ftp_mdtm()

To use the ftp_mdtm() function, you first need to establish a connection to the FTP server using the ftp_connect() function. Here's an example:

<?php

// Set up an FTP connection
$conn = ftp_connect('ftp.example.com');

// Login with your FTP credentials
ftp_login($conn, 'username', 'password');

// Get the last modified time of the remote file
$last_modified = ftp_mdtm($conn, '/path/to/remote/file');

// Close the FTP connection
ftp_close($conn);

In this example, we establish a connection to the FTP server using the ftp_connect() function. Then we log in using our FTP credentials using the ftp_login() function. Finally, we retrieve the last modified time of the remote file using the ftp_mdtm() function and close the FTP connection.

Error handling in ftp_mdtm()

It's important to handle errors properly when using the ftp_mdtm() function. If the function returns false, it means that the file doesn't exist or the connection identifier is invalid. Here's an example of how to handle errors:

<?php

$last_modified = ftp_mdtm($conn, '/path/to/remote/file');

if ($last_modified === false) {
    echo "Failed to retrieve the last modified time.\n";
} else {
    echo "The last modified time is $last_modified.\n";
}

In this example, we check the return value of the ftp_mdtm() function. If it's false, we display an error message; otherwise, we display the last modified time.

Conclusion

The ftp_mdtm() function is a useful PHP built-in function that allows you to retrieve the last modified time of the specified file on the FTP server. By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this article, you can use the ftp_mdtm() function in your PHP projects with confidence. We hope this article has been helpful to you.