How to read all files and directories in a folder | PHP glob()

To read all the files in a particular directory using PHP, we can use glob() function. This function allows to read any (pathname) file/ sub directory/ both in a particular directory (in which files are being searched).

Definition:

The glob() function returns an array of filenames or directories matching a specified pattern(given pattern as first argument). The glob() function returns an array containing the matched files/directories names, an empty array if no file/directory is matched and FALSE if any error occurs.

Syntax of glob() function (as on official website)

glob ( string $pattern [, int $flags = 0 ] ) : array

Description

glob() function uses two parameters. First is mandatory string pattern and second is optional integer (flag).

How to use glob() function

First parameter is a string which is treated as pattern to search pathnames (files/directories).

Examples of glob() function by patterns

Eg-1: To search any file or directory

$search_results = glob('*');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => folder-one
    [1] => folder-two
    [2] => index.php
    [3] => php-file-one.php
    [4] => php-file-two.php
    [5] => techbriefers-file.txt
    [6] => techbriefers-folder
    [7] => test-file-one.txt
    [8] => test-file-two.txt
)
*/

Eg-2: To search only PHP files

$search_results = glob('*.php');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => index.php
    [1] => php-file-one.php
    [2] => php-file-two.php
)
*/

Eg-3: To search only text files

$search_results = glob('*.txt');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => techbriefers-file.txt
    [1] => test-file-one.txt
    [2] => test-file-two.txt
)
*/

Eg-4: To search any file or directory starts with ‘a’

$search_results = glob('a*');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
)
*/

Eg-4: To search any file or directory starts with ‘tech’

$search_results = glob('tech*');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => techbriefers-file.txt
    [1] => techbriefers-folder
)
*/

Eg-5: To search any file or directory contains ‘brie’

$search_results = glob('*brie*');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => techbriefers-file.txt
    [1] => techbriefers-folder
)
*/

Eg-6: To search any file or directory that starts with ‘tech’ and end with ‘folder’

$search_results = glob('tech*folder');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [1] => techbriefers-folder
)
*/

Second parameter is an integer which should be a valid flag.

Valid flags:

GLOB_MARK – Adds a slash to the end each directory name found

GLOB_NOSORT – Return files as they appear in the directory without sorting alphabetically. When this flag is not used, the pathnames are sorted alphabetically

GLOB_NOCHECK – Return the search pattern if no files matching it were found

GLOB_NOESCAPE – Backslashes do not quote metacharacters

GLOB_BRACE – Expands {a,b,c} to match ‘a’, ‘b’, or ‘c’

GLOB_ONLYDIR – Return only directory entries which match the pattern

GLOB_ERR – Stop on read errors (like unreadable directories), by default errors are ignored.

Examples of glob() function by flags

Eg-7: To add slash at the end of directory

$search_results = glob('*', GLOB_MARK);
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => folder-one/
    [1] => folder-two/
    [2] => index.php
    [3] => php-file-one.php
    [4] => php-file-two.php
    [5] => techbriefers-file.txt
    [6] => techbriefers-folder/
    [7] => test-file-one.txt
    [8] => test-file-two.txt
)
*/

Eg-8: To see unsorted list of files and directories

$search_results = glob('*', GLOB_NOSORT);
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => test-file-one.txt
    [1] => index.php
    [2] => techbriefers-file.txt
    [3] => php-file-one.php
    [4] => php-file-two.php
    [5] => test-file-two.txt
    [6] => folder-two
    [7] => folder-one
    [8] => techbriefers-folder
)
*/

Eg-9: If file/folder is not found returns pattern, without using GLOB_NOCHECK returns an empty array

$search_results = glob('new*', GLOB_NOCHECK);
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => new*
)
*/

Clear difference can bee seen if you compare Eg-9 and Eg-4. In Eg-4 results are not found hence empty array is returned.

Eg-10: To search only directories (other files are ignored in search)

$search_results = glob('*', GLOB_ONLYDIR);
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => folder-one
    [1] => folder-two
    [2] => techbriefers-folder
)
*/

Searching/ pathnames (files and folders in a paricular sub folder)

Eg-11: To search files and folders in ‘techbriefers-folder’ directory

$search_results = glob('techbriefers-folder/*');
print_r($search_results);

/*output
Array
(
    [0] => techbriefers-folder/sub-file-one.txt
    [1] => techbriefers-folder/sub-file-two.txt
    [2] => techbriefers-folder/sub-folder-one
    [3] => techbriefers-folder/sub-folder-two
)
*/

***I have used echo ‘<pre>’; before printing array to show in a user friendly view.