Using PHP glob() Function to Match File Paths

In PHP, the glob() function is used to retrieve file paths that match a specified pattern, returning an array of matching paths.

The syntax is:

array glob ( string $pattern [, int $flags = 0 ] )

Parameters:

pattern : The pattern to match, supporting wildcards *, ?, and character ranges [].

flags : Optional flags that modify matching behavior (e.g., GLOB_BRACE for brace expansion).

Basic usage – match all files in a directory: $files = glob('path/to/directory/*'); This returns an array of all files in the specified directory.

Wildcard for file extensions: $files = glob('path/to/directory/*.txt'); The result contains only files with the .txt extension.

Brace expansion with regular‑style patterns:

$files = glob('path/to/directory/*.{jpg,png}', GLOB_BRACE);

This returns files ending in .jpg or .png; the GLOB_BRACE flag enables the brace syntax.

Recursive matching of a directory and its sub‑directories:

$files = glob('path/to/directory/**/*', GLOB_BRACE);

The ** wildcard together with GLOB_BRACE retrieves all files in the directory tree.

Beyond these examples, glob() also supports case‑sensitive matching, custom filters, and other flags. The function may return both files and directories, and if no matches are found it returns an empty array, so callers should always check the result before processing.

Summary: The glob() function provides a flexible way to locate files in PHP by using pattern matching; proper use of patterns and flags allows precise control over the returned file list.