PHP rename() | Rename a File or Directory

The PHP rename() function is used when we need to change the name of a file or a directory. For example:

<?php
   $chk = rename("myfile.txt", "yourfile.txt");
   if($chk)
      echo "<p>Name changed successfully!</p>";
   else
      echo "<p>Unable to change the name.</p>";
?>

The output of the above PHP example using the rename() function is shown in the snapshot given below:

That is, after executing the above PHP code, the name of the file myfile.txt gets changed to yourfile.txt.

PHP rename() Syntax

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

rename(oldName, newName, context)

The first two (oldName and newName) parameters are required, whereas the last parameter is optional and is used to specify the context resource while renaming a file or a directory.

PHP rename() function example

Consider the following PHP code as another example of the rename() function:

<?php
   $old_file_name = "old_file.txt";
   $new_file_name = "new_file.txt";

   if (file_exists($old_file_name)) {
      if (rename($old_file_name, $new_file_name)) {
         echo "File renamed successfully.";
      } else {
         echo "File renaming failed.";
      }
   } else {
      echo "File does not exist.";
   }
?>

File renamed successfully.

And if the file "old_file.txt" does not exist in the current directory, then you will get the following output:

File does not exist.

Advantages of the rename() function in PHP

• Only a few lines of code are needed to rename a file or directory when using the rename() function.
• An easy and quick way to rename a file or directory on a server is to use the rename() function.
• The function outputs a boolean value that can be used to determine whether or not a file or directory was successfully renamed. This makes handling errors very simple.

Disadvantages of the rename() function in PHP

• The rename() function can introduce security flaws like directory traversal attacks if it is used without proper input validation.
• The rename() function cannot be easily undone once a file or directory has been renamed. This implies that before renaming something, it is crucial to give it careful thought.
• Only files and directories can be renamed using the rename() function. Use other functions or libraries if you need to perform more complicated operations.

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