PHP getservbyname() Function: Everything You Need to Know

As a PHP developer, you may need to obtain the port number associated with a given service name. In such scenarios, the PHP getservbyname() function comes in handy. It is a built-in function in PHP that allows you to retrieve the port number associated with a given service name. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the getservbyname() function and its usage.

What is the getservbyname() Function?

The getservbyname() function is a PHP built-in function that allows you to retrieve the port number associated with a given service name.

How to Use the getservbyname() Function

Using the getservbyname() function is straightforward. Here is the syntax of the function:

getservbyname($service, $protocol);

The function takes two parameters:

• $service: The service name for which you want to retrieve the port number.
• $protocol: The protocol for which you want to retrieve the port number. This parameter is optional and defaults to TCP if not specified.

Here is an example of how to use the getservbyname() function to retrieve the port number associated with a service name:

<?php

$service_name = "http";
$protocol_name = "tcp";
$port_number = getservbyname($service_name, $protocol_name);
if ($port_number === false) {
  echo "Failed to retrieve port number for service name $service_name and protocol name $protocol_name";
} else {
  echo "The port number for service name $service_name and protocol name $protocol_name is $port_number";
}

In this example, we retrieve the port number associated with the service name "http" using the getservbyname() function or provide a helpful message to the user in case of any issues with the function call.

Conclusion

The getservbyname() function is a useful tool for retrieving the port number associated with a given service name. By understanding the syntax and usage of the function, you can easily obtain the port number that you need for your PHP application. We hope this article has been informative and useful in understanding the getservbyname() function in PHP.