php-doc-en/reference/filesystem/functions/file-exists.xml

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<refentry id="function.file-exists">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>file_exists</refname>
  <refpurpose>Checks whether a file or directory exists</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>
  <methodsynopsis>
   <type>bool</type><methodname>file_exists</methodname>
   <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>filename</parameter></methodparam>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <simpara>
   Returns &true; if the file or directory specified by
   <parameter>filename</parameter> exists; &false; otherwise.
  </simpara>
  <para>
   On windows, use <filename>//computername/share/filename</filename> or
   <filename>\\computername\share\filename</filename> to check files on
   network shares.
  </para>
  <para>
   <example>
    <title>Testing whether a file exists</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$filename = '/path/to/foo.txt';

if (file_exists($filename)) {
    echo "The file $filename exists";
} else {
    echo "The file $filename does not exist";
}
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
  </para>

  &note.clearstatcache;

  &tip.fopen-wrapper.stat;

  <warning>
   <para>
    This function returns &false; for files inaccessible due to <link
    linkend="features.safe-mode">safe mode</link> restrictions. However these
    files still can be <link linkend="function.include">included</link> if
    they are located in <link
    linkend="ini.safe-mode-include-dir">safe_mode_include_dir</link>.
   </para>
  </warning>

  <note>
   <para>
    The check is done using the real UID/GID instead of the effective one.
   </para>
  </note>

  <para>
   See also <function>is_readable</function>, <function>is_writable</function>,
   <function>is_file</function> and <function>file</function>.
  </para>
 </refsect1>
</refentry>

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