<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
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<refentry xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xml:id="function.file-exists">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>file_exists</refname>
  <refpurpose>Checks whether a file or directory exists</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 
 <refsect1 role="description">
  &reftitle.description;
  <methodsynopsis>
   <type>bool</type><methodname>file_exists</methodname>
   <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>filename</parameter></methodparam>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <para>
   Checks whether a file or directory exists.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="parameters">
  &reftitle.parameters;
  <para>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>filename</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       Path to the file or directory.
      </para>
      <para>
       On windows, use <filename>//computername/share/filename</filename> or
       <filename>\\computername\share\filename</filename> to check files on
       network shares.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="returnvalues">
  &reftitle.returnvalues;
  <para>
   Returns &true; if the file or directory specified by
   <parameter>filename</parameter> exists; &false; otherwise.
  </para>
  <note>
   <para>
    This function will return &false; for symlinks pointing to non-existing
    files.
   </para>
  </note>
  <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>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="examples">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <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>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="errors">
  &reftitle.errors;
  &fs.emits.warning.on.failure;
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="notes">
  &reftitle.notes;
  &note.clearstatcache;
  &tip.fopen-wrapper.stat;
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="seealso">
  &reftitle.seealso;
  <para>
   <simplelist>
    <member><function>is_readable</function></member>
    <member><function>is_writable</function></member>
    <member><function>is_file</function></member>
    <member><function>file</function></member>
   </simplelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>

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