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>

    &note.clearstatcache;
    
    &note.no-remote;

    <note>
     <title>Using Windows shares</title>
     <para>
      On windows, use <filename>//computername/share/filename</filename> or
      <filename>\\\\computername\share\filename</filename> to check files on
      network shares.
     </para>
    </note>
    <para>
     <example>
      <title>Testing whether a file exists</title>
      <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$filename = '/path/to/foo.txt';

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