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To delete a file by using PHP is very easy. Deleting a file means completely erase a file from a directory so that the file is no longer exist. PHP has an unlink[] function that allows to delete a file. The PHP unlink[] function takes two parameters $filename and $context. Syntax:
unlink[ $filename, $context ];
Below programs illustrate the above approach: Program 1: This program uses unlink[] function to remove file from directory. Suppose there is a file named as “gfg.txt”
php
Output:
gfg.txt has been deleted
Program 2: This program uses unlink[] function to delete a file from folder after using some operation.
php
Output:
Warning: unlink[] expects parameter 1 to be a valid path, resource given in C:\xampp\htdocs\server.php on line 12 Resource id #3 cannot be deleted due to an error
Note: If the file does not exist then it will display an error.
PHP is a server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development. You can learn PHP from the ground up by following this PHP Tutorial and PHP Examples.
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delete — See unlink[] or unset[]
Description
There is no delete keyword or function in the PHP language. If you arrived at this page seeking to delete a file, try unlink[]. To delete a variable from the local scope, check out unset[].
See Also
- unlink[] - Deletes a file
- unset[] - Unset a given variable
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[PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8]
unlink — Deletes a file
Description
unlink[string $filename, ?resource $context = null]: bool
Parameters
filenamePath to the file.
If the file is a symlink, the symlink will be deleted. On Windows, to delete a symlink to a directory, rmdir[] has to be used instead.
contextA context stream resource.
Return Values
Returns true on success or false on failure.
Changelog
| 7.3.0 | On Windows, it is now possible to unlink[] files with handles in use, while formerly that would fail. However, it is still not possible to re-create the unlinked file, until all handles to it have been closed. |
Examples
Example #1 Basic unlink[] usage
See Also
- rmdir[] - Removes directory
anagai at yahoo dot com ¶
10 years ago
This will delete all files in a directory matching a pattern in one line of code.
dexen dot devries at gmail dot com ¶
11 years ago
Deleted a large file but seeing no increase in free space or decrease of disk usage? Using UNIX or other POSIX OS?
The unlink[] is not about removing file, it's about removing a file name. The manpage says: ``unlink - delete a name and possibly the file it refers to''.
Most of the time a file has just one name -- removing it will also remove [free, deallocate] the `body' of file [with one caveat, see below]. That's the simple, usual case.
However, it's perfectly fine for a file to have several names [see the link[] function], in the same or different directories. All the names will refer to the file body and `keep it alive', so to say. Only when all the names are removed, the body of file actually is freed.
The caveat:
A file's body may *also* be `kept alive' [still using diskspace] by a process holding the file open. The body will not be deallocated [will not free disk space] as long as the process holds it open. In fact, there's a fancy way of resurrecting a file removed by a mistake but still held open by a process...
deen804 at gmail dot com ¶
8 years ago
unlink[$fileName]; failed for me .
Then i tried using the realpath[$fileName] function as
unlink[realpath[$fileName]]; it worked
just posting it , in case if any one finds it useful .
federico at poisonfx dot com ¶
11 years ago
Here the simplest way to delete files with mask
chris at vibenewmedia dot com ¶
18 years ago
To delete all files of a particular extension, or infact, delete all with wildcard, a much simplar way is to use the glob function. Say I wanted to delete all jpgs .........
PD ¶
14 years ago
I have been working on some little tryout where a backup file was created before modifying the main textfile. Then when an error is thrown, the main file will be deleted [unlinked] and the backup file is returned instead.
Though, I have been breaking my head for about an hour on why I couldn't get my persmissions right to unlink the main file.
Finally I knew what was wrong: because I was working on the file and hadn't yet closed the file, it was still in use and ofcourse couldn't be deleted :]
So I thought of mentoining this here, to avoid others of making the same mistake: