PHP disk_free_space(): Find Amount of Free Disk Space

The PHP disk_free_space() function is used when we need to find the free space available on a specified disk or filesystem. The space returned using this function will be in bytes by default. For example:

<?php
   $space = disk_free_space("C:");
   echo $space;
?>

The output of the previous example is:

That is, 67981537280 bytes. Here is a snapshot of the "C" drive of my computer system:

PHP Find Amount of Free Disk Space in GB

To modify the above program in a way to print the amount of free space available on the "C" drive in "GB," then use the following example:

<?php
   $spaceBytes = disk_free_space("C:");
   
   $spaceKb = $spaceBytes/1024;
   $spaceMb = $spaceKb/1024;
   $spaceGb = $spaceMb/1024;
   
   echo "<p>Free Space available in <b>C</b> Drive is <b>$spaceGb</b> GB</p>";
?>

Now the output should be:

To remove all digits after decimals, use (int) before $spaceGb. For example:

<?php
   $spaceBytes = disk_free_space("C:");
   
   $spaceGb = $spaceBytes/1024/1024/1024;
   $spaceGb = (int)$spaceGb;
   
   echo "<p><b>C</b> Drive Free Space = <b>$spaceGb</b> GB</p>";
?>

Now the output should be:

PHP disk_free_space() Syntax

The syntax of the disk_free_space() function in PHP is:

disk_free_space(x)

The x parameter is required and refers to the filesystem or disk whose free space we need to find or see.

Advantages of the disk_free_space() function in PHP

• The path to the disk or partition you want to check is the only input needed for this very straightforward function.
• The feature is accessible across a variety of platforms and is compatible with both Windows and Unix-based operating systems.
• It can be helpful for keeping track of how much space is left on a disk or partition, which is crucial for making sure that processes or applications don't run out of room.

Disadvantages of the disk_free_space() function in PHP

• The "disk_free_space()" function does not return any other data, such as the total size of the disk, the amount of used space, or the percentage of free space; it only returns the amount of free disk space.
• The function's portability may be restricted by the fact that it might not operate on some systems or that it might need specialized access rights to disk data.
• It may not be possible to diagnose the issue if the function returns a false value if it is unable to retrieve disk information. Furthermore, if the function fails, some versions of PHP might not produce an error message.
• If the function is used to access sensitive data stored on a disk, improper use could leave it open to security flaws or attacks.

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