PHP Append Text to a File

To append text to a file in PHP, we need to process similar tasks as done when writing text to a file. The only thing we have to change is the file-opening mode.

Therefore, use either a or a+ mode.

The a mode is used to append data to a file, whereas the a+ mode is used to append data to a file along with the read function. That is, with a+, we can append the data, then use the rewind() or seek() functions to move the file pointer to any position in the file to read its content.

PHP Append Data to a File Example

<?php
   $fp = fopen("codescracker.txt", "a");
   fwrite($fp, "PHP is Fun");
   fclose($fp);
?>

After executing the above PHP example, the text or data PHP is Fun will get appended to the file named codescracker.txt. Here is the snapshot of the file, codescracker.txt, after executing the above PHP code:

You can use fwrite($fp, "\nPHP is Fun"); to append the text from a new line.

Note: The fopen() function opens a file.

Note: The fwrite() function is used to write content to a file.

Note: The fclose() function closes a file.

Let me create another example of appending the data to a file with some elaboration and modification based on the previous example:

<?php
   $file = "codescracker.txt";
   $fp = fopen($file, "a+");
   if($fp)
   {
      echo "<h1>The content of file is:</h1>";
      while(!feof($fp))
      {
         $line = fgets($fp);
         echo $line;
         echo "<br>";
      }
      
      // appending the new data (two lines of text) to the file
      fwrite($fp, PHP_EOL);
      $x = "Yes, PHP is Fun!";
      fwrite($fp, $x.PHP_EOL);
      $x = "What do you think?";
      fwrite($fp, $x);
      
      echo "<h1>Now the content of file after appending is:</h1>";
      rewind($fp);
      while(!feof($fp))
      {
         $line = fgets($fp);
         echo $line;
         echo "<br>";
      }
      
      fclose($fp);
   }
   else
      echo "<p>Unable to open the file</p>";
?>

The output of the above PHP example is shown in the following snapshot:

Note: The feof() function checks whether the file pointer has been reached at the end of the file.

Note: The fgets() function is used to read the content of a file, line-by-line.

Note: The rewind() function moves the file pointer to the beginning of the file.

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