How to Write Files in PHP Using fputs(): Syntax, Parameters, and Example

Overview

The fputs() function in PHP writes a string to an open file handle and returns the number of bytes written or false on failure.

Syntax

fputs ( resource $handle , string $string [, int $length ] ) : int|bool

Parameters

$handle : The file resource obtained from fopen().

$string : The string to be written to the file.

$length (optional): Maximum number of bytes to write; defaults to the length of $string.

Return Value

On success, the function returns the number of bytes written; on failure, it returns false.

Example Code

<?php
$file = fopen("demo.txt", "w");
if ($file) {
    $content = "Hello, World!";
    $length = fputs($file, $content);
    if ($length !== false) {
        echo "Write successful, wrote " . $length . " bytes.";
    } else {
        echo "Write failed.";
    }
    fclose($file);
}
?>

The example opens demo.txt in write mode, writes the string "Hello, World!", checks the return value, and closes the file.

Important Notes

The file must be opened with a writable mode (e.g., "w") using fopen() before calling fputs().

Always close the file with fclose() after writing to release the resource.

Conclusion

The fputs() function provides a straightforward way to write strings to files in PHP, but developers must ensure proper file opening modes and remember to close the file handle to avoid resource leaks.