Master PHP’s chdir() Function to Change the Working Directory

The chdir() function in PHP changes the script’s current working directory to a specified path.

Syntax

bool chdir(string $directory)

Description

Calling chdir() updates PHP’s internal working directory to the value provided in $directory. This affects subsequent file operations that use relative paths.

Parameters

$directory – The target directory that should become the new current working directory.

Return Value

The function returns TRUE on success and FALSE on failure, allowing it to be used directly in conditional statements.

Example

<?php
// Show current directory
echo getcwd() . "
";

// Change to a new directory
chdir('public_html');

// Show the new current directory
echo getcwd() . "
";
?>

Output

/home/vincent
/home/vincent/public_html

Notes

If the specified directory does not exist or is not accessible, chdir() returns FALSE and the working directory remains unchanged.