PHP: quick way to check folder empty?

Terry Crim · 02-11-2012, 11:11 PM

PHP 5.2.x

What is a quick way to check if a folder is empty? I have a routine that empty's out a folder but I want to check if it is empty before I run the deletion code.

Searching the SE's so far I haven't found a quick and easy way to do this without writing a long multi-line function.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Terry Crim · 02-12-2012, 12:00 AM

Ok, I wrote the below code to achieve this. Is there a simpler way to do this I have missed?

PHP Code:

  
$files = scandir($dir);
unset($files[array_search(".",$files)]);
unset($files[array_search("..",$files)]);

If(count($files) > 0) {
  DELETE FILES CODE HERE
}

jaredrasc · 02-13-2012, 06:09 AM

you can do it with
isEmptyDir($dir){ function easily

JoeyJoe · 02-13-2012, 07:14 PM

Ah this will help with my project, atm i search for all the files in the folder. checking it actually has something will help

Terry Crim · 02-13-2012, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaredrasc

you can do it with
isEmptyDir($dir){ function easily

Where is isEmptyDir ? Checking the manual that function does not exist, at least not in the 5.x and 5.3.X manuals.

Is this custom function you created?

Edit: OH, you mean create a function around that code I wrote above? Yeah, but I was wondering if there is an easier way to do this than how I went about it above. Writing modular code is important but I did not know if there was something already that exists that can do this simpler than how I went about it above.

Thanks for your response.

Terry Crim · 02-13-2012, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeyJoe

Ah this will help with my project, atm i search for all the files in the folder. checking it actually has something will help

Yes, I did not know if you realized this or not but the function

PHP Code:

  scandir()

actually creates an array with all the files in a specific folder, if you look up that function in the help file or on php.net you will see the options for this function and scanning through the comments you will find ways to get the entire folder tree as well.

I find using things like this is easier than using file open and close code etc...

In my sample code above I take out the "." and ".." directory links from the returned array if they happen to exist. I am not sure when or if they would not exist but anything is possible so I allowed for that in my unset commands. In my script this code is never seen so I don't really care if errors happen with files not existing because the error will never be seen but if you want to tidy this up you can do some more checking OR just use @ to silence the errors if any occur. I didn't care in my situation so I didn't do any error checking at all.

02-11-2012, 11:11 PM	#1
Terry Crim Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,650 Thanks: 16 Thanked 69 Times in 55 Posts	PHP: quick way to check folder empty? PHP 5.2.x What is a quick way to check if a folder is empty? I have a routine that empty's out a folder but I want to check if it is empty before I run the deletion code. Searching the SE's so far I haven't found a quick and easy way to do this without writing a long multi-line function. Any ideas? Thanks.
	www.TerryCrim.com

02-12-2012, 12:00 AM	#2
Terry Crim Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,650 Thanks: 16 Thanked 69 Times in 55 Posts	Re: PHP: quick way to check folder empty? Ok, I wrote the below code to achieve this. Is there a simpler way to do this I have missed? PHP Code: `$files = scandir($dir); unset($files[array_search(".",$files)]); unset($files[array_search("..",$files)]); If(count($files) > 0) { DELETE FILES CODE HERE }`
	www.TerryCrim.com

02-13-2012, 06:09 AM	#3
jaredrasc Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: PHP: quick way to check folder empty? you can do it with isEmptyDir($dir){ function easily
	Kitchens Modern Kitchens

02-13-2012, 07:14 PM	#4
JoeyJoe Warrior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 18 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: PHP: quick way to check folder empty? Ah this will help with my project, atm i search for all the files in the folder. checking it actually has something will help