Using PHP's file() Function to Read Files into an Array

In PHP there are many convenient functions for file operations, and the file() function is one of the most commonly used because it reads a file and returns its contents as an array.

The function prototype is:

array file ( string $filename [, int $flags = 0 [, resource $context ]] )

To demonstrate, create a text file named sample.txt with the following content:

Hello, world!
This is a sample file.
It is used for testing file functions in PHP.

Reading the file with the basic call:

$fileContent = file("sample.txt");

print_r($fileContent);

produces an array where each line, including the line‑break character, is an element:

Array
(
    [0] => Hello, world!
    [1] => This is a sample file.
    [2] => It is used for testing file functions in PHP.
)

By default the newline character is kept. To omit it, use the FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES flag:

$fileContent = file("sample.txt", FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES);

print_r($fileContent);

The output now shows the lines without trailing newlines.

Additional flags can modify the behavior further. For example, FILE_SKIP_EMPTY_LINES skips empty lines. Combining flags works as shown:

$fileContent = file("sample.txt", FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES | FILE_SKIP_EMPTY_LINES);

print_r($fileContent);

The resulting array contains only the non‑empty lines, with newlines removed.

In summary, PHP's file() function provides a simple yet flexible way to read a file into an array, and its optional flags allow precise control over newline retention and empty‑line handling.