Ftp_mlsd()

What is ftp_mlsd()?

The ftp_mlsd() function is a PHP built-in function that returns a directory listing of the specified directory on the FTP server in a machine-readable format. The function takes one parameter:

1. ftp_stream: The connection identifier returned by the ftp_connect() function.

The function returns an array of files and directories in the specified directory. Each item in the array is represented as an associative array with the following keys: name, type, size, modify, and perms.

Syntax of ftp_mlsd()

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

array ftp_mlsd ( resource $ftp_stream [, string $directory ] )

The ftp_mlsd() function takes one required parameter, ftp_stream, and one optional parameter, directory. The ftp_stream parameter is the connection identifier returned by the ftp_connect() function. The directory parameter is the name of the directory to list. If the directory parameter is omitted, the current directory is listed.

Usage of ftp_mlsd()

To use the ftp_mlsd() 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 directory listing in a machine-readable format
$directory_listing = ftp_mlsd($conn, '/path/to/remote/directory');

// 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 directory listing in a machine-readable format using the ftp_mlsd() function and close the FTP connection.

Error handling in ftp_mlsd()

It's important to handle errors properly when using the ftp_mlsd() function. If the function returns false, it means that the directory listing was unsuccessful. Here's an example of how to handle errors:

<?php

$directory_listing = ftp_mlsd($conn, '/path/to/remote/directory');

if ($directory_listing === false) {
    echo "Failed to retrieve directory listing.\n";
} else {
    // Process the directory listing
}

In this example, we check the return value of the ftp_mlsd() function. If it's false, we display an error message; otherwise, we process the directory listing.

Conclusion

The ftp_mlsd() function is a useful PHP built-in function that allows you to retrieve a directory listing in a machine-readable format. By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this article, you can use the ftp_mlsd() function in your PHP projects with confidence. We hope this article has been helpful to you.