>PHP: rmdir - Manual

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rmdir

null at php5 dot pl
17-Aug-2006 04:08


I think that glob() function might be better for deep directory removing



<?php



functio removeDir($path)

{

$path.="*";

foreach(glob($path) as $file)

{

unlink($file);

}

}

}



?>



Thats all :-)

les_diadoques at worldonline dot fr
06-Jun-2006 01:00


For PHP 3-4-5.

No trailing "/" at the end of the path.



<?php



function remove_directory($dir) {

  if ($handle = opendir("$dir")) {

    while (false !== ($item = readdir($handle))) {

      if ($item != "." && $item != "..") {

        if (is_dir("$dir/$item")) {

          remove_directory("$dir/$item");

        } else {

          unlink("$dir/$item");

          echo " removing $dir/$item<br>\n";

        }

      }

    }

    closedir($handle);

    rmdir($dir);

    echo "removing $dir<br>\n";

  }

}



remove_directory("/path/to/dir");



?>

brianleeholub at yahoo dot com
11-May-2006 11:30


this will only work in php5 (scandir).



feed this function the path to a directory (INCLUDE TRAILING /) and it'll clean it of all contents (if it contains a directory with more stuff it'll dive down and clean that out). use with care!



remove_directory('/path/to/crap/for/deletion/');



function remove_directory($dir) {

        $dir_contents = scandir($dir);

        foreach ($dir_contents as $item) {

            if (is_dir($dir.$item) && $item != '.' && $item != '..') {

                remove_directory($dir.$item.'/');

            }

            elseif (file_exists($dir.$item) && $item != '.' && $item != '..') {

                unlink($dir.$item);

            }

        }

        rmdir($dir);

    }

not at any dot com
14-Apr-2006 11:21


Save some time, if you want to clean a directory or delete it and you're on windows.



Use This:



            chdir ($file_system_path);

            exec ("del *.* /s /q");



You can use other DEL syntax, or any other shell util.

You may have to allow the service to interact with the desktop, as that's my current setting and I'm not changing it to test this.

dao at design-noir.de
18-Feb-2006 03:17


[bobbfwed at comcast dot net], you posted really bad code. The constant and the global variable are absolutely useless and make the function inflexible and fault-prone. Furthermore your error echo'ing is weird, you should use trigger_error().



Now, since previous rmdirr() implementations lack the ability to simply clear a directory and ClearDirectory() / RemoveDirectory() by [mn dot yarar at gmail dot com] didn't work with nested directories, I've rewritten them: http://en.design-noir.de/webdev/PHP/rmdirr_cleardir/

bobbfwed at comcast dot net
02-Feb-2006 11:20


I have programmed a really nice program that remotely lets you manage files as if you have direct access to them (http://sourceforge.net/projects/filemanage/). I have a bunch of really handy functions to do just about anything to files or directories. In it I use this directory delete function.

Here is the function I made; it will likely need tweaking to work as a standalone script, since it relies of variables set by my program (eg: loc1 -- which dynamically changes in my program):



<?PHP



  // loc1 is the path on the computer to the base directory that may be moved

define('loc1', 'C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache/htdocs', true);



  // use this format:

$dir = '[reletive path]';

if(remdir($dir))

  rmdir($dir);

else

  echo 'There was an error.';



  // this function deletes all files and sub directories directories in a directory

  // bool remdir( str 'directory path' )

function remdir($dir){



  if(!isset($GLOBALS['remerror']))

    $GLOBALS['remerror'] = false;



  if($handle = opendir(loc1 . $dir)){           // if the folder exploration is sucsessful, continue

    while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle))){ // as long as storing the next file to $file is successful, continue

      $path = $dir . '/' . $file;

      if(is_file(loc1 . $path)){

        if(!unlink(loc1 . $path)){

          echo '<u><font color="red">"' . $path . '" could not be deleted. This may be due to a permissions problem.</u><br>Directory cannot be deleted until all files are deleted.</font><br>';

          $GLOBALS['remerror'] = true;

          return false;

        }

      } else

      if(is_dir(loc1 . $path) && substr($file, 0, 1) != '.'){

        remdir($path);

        @rmdir(loc1 . $path);

      }

    }

    closedir($handle); // close the folder exploration

  }



  if(!$GLOBALS['remerror']) // if no errors occured, delete the now empty directory.

    if(!rmdir(loc1 . $dir)){

      echo '<b><font color="red">Could not remove directory "' . $dir . '". This may be due to a permissions problem.</font></b><br>';

      return false;

    } else

      return true;



  return false;

} // end of remdir()

?>



This new function will be in 0.9.7 (the current release of File Manage) which was just released.

Hope this helps some people.

mn dot yarar at gmail dot com
02-Feb-2006 02:36


/***********************************

Author : M. Niyazi Yarar

Created : February, 2006

Description : Simply clean files 

and removes the directory



If any error occurs or for your suggestions,

please send me e-mail

***********************************/

function ClearDirectory($path){

    if($dir_handle = opendir($path)){    

        while($file = readdir($dir_handle)){    

            if($file == "." || $file == ".."){

                if(!@unlink($path."/".$file)){

                    continue;

                }                

            }else{

                @unlink($path."/".$file);

            }

        }

        closedir($dir_handle);

        return true;

// all files deleted

    }else{

        return false;

// directory doesn’t exist

    }    

}

function RemoveDirectory($path){

    if(ClearDirectory($path)){

        if(rmdir($path)){

            return true;

// directory removed

        }else{

            return false;

// directory couldn’t removed

        }

    }else{

        return false;

// no empty directory

    }

}

/***************************************

Example Usage



if(RemoveDirectory("/mysite/images")){

    echo 'Uughh! All images gone!';

}else{

    echo 'Ohh, well done. I am so lucky';

}

***************************************/

Andreas Kalsch (akidee.de)
02-Jan-2006 11:43


a function that deletes a directory - beginning with the deepest directory and its files.



- it really works if you have enough rights.

- it returns a boolean value if everything is properly done.



function deleteDir($dir)

{

    if (substr($dir, strlen($dir)-1, 1) != '/')

        $dir .= '/';



    echo $dir;



    if ($handle = opendir($dir))

    {

        while ($obj = readdir($handle))

        {

            if ($obj != '.' && $obj != '..')

            {

                if (is_dir($dir.$obj))

                {

                    if (!deleteDir($dir.$obj))

                        return false;

                }

                elseif (is_file($dir.$obj))

                {

                    if (!unlink($dir.$obj))

                        return false;

                }

            }

        }



        closedir($handle);



        if (!@rmdir($dir))

            return false;

        return true;

    }

    return false;

}

almann
30-Nov-2005 07:06


some systems coudn´d erase directorys while they are open. So it´s better to set @closedir($dh); before trying to erase with @rmdir($dir);

stefano at takys dot it
24-Nov-2005 06:26


becouse all the examples fails if there are hiddenfiles (.filename) somewhere, I write this short and power function to erase a tree independtly from his content



/**

 * rm() -- Very Vigorously erase files and directories. Also hidden files !!!!

 * 

 * @param $dir string

 *                   be carefull to:

 *                         if($obj=='.' || $obj=='..') continue;

 *                    if not it will erase all the server...it happened to me ;)

 *                     the function is permission dependent.     

 */

function rm($dir) {

    if(!$dh = @opendir($dir)) return;

    while (($obj = readdir($dh))) {

        if($obj=='.' || $obj=='..') continue;

        if (!@unlink($dir.'/'.$obj)) rm($dir.'/'.$obj);

    }

   @rmdir($dir);

}

andy at mentalist dot co dot uk
17-Nov-2005 02:17


# Clears temporary directory and any files or sub directories

# using a stack, without evil recursion.

#

# Andy Gale - 17/11/2005



function clear_tmp_dir($dir)

{

    $stack = array($dir);



    while (count($stack)) {

        # Get last directory on stack

        $dir = end($stack);

        

        $dh = opendir($dir);

        if (!$dh) { 

            trigger_error('clear_tmp_dir: unable to opendir ' . $dir, E_USER_ERROR);

        }

        

        while (($file = readdir($dh)) !== false) {

            if ($file == '.' or $file == '..') { 

                continue;

            }



            if (is_dir($dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $file)) { 

                $stack[] = $dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $file;

            } else if (is_file($dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $file)) { 

                unlink($dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $file);

            } else {

                trigger_error('clear_tmp_dir: ignoring ' . $dir .

                              DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $file, E_USER_ERROR);

            }

        }



        if (end($stack) == $dir) { 

            rmdir($dir);

            array_pop($stack);

        }

    }

}

lodemessemaker at hotmail dot com
22-Sep-2005 05:13


In reaction to the function rmdirr() by makarenkoa at ukrpost dot net:



If verbose is set to TRUE, it will only work in the first (target) directory, and not in subdirectories. To make the function verbose in subdirectories as well, change the following:



<?php

...

       if(is_dir($object))

           rmdirr($object);

...

?>



TO



<?php

...

       if(is_dir($object))

           rmdirr($object,$verbose);

?>

dexn (at) metazure.com
02-Aug-2005 05:01


Here's a short function I wrote to remove a directory and all it's contents using the glob() function:



function rmdirr($dir) {

    if($objs = glob($dir."/*")){

        foreach($objs as $obj) {

            is_dir($obj)? rmdirr($obj) : unlink($obj);

        }

    }

    rmdir($dir);

}

makarenkoa at ukrpost dot net
24-Jul-2005 11:07


<?php

// rmdirr.inc.php

/*

25.07.2005

Author: Anton Makarenko

    makarenkoa at ukrpost dot net

    webmaster at eufimb dot edu dot ua

Original idea:

    http://ua2.php.net/manual/en/http://indices.com.es/function.rmdir.html

    28-Apr-2005 07:35

    development at lab-9 dot com

*/

function rmdirr($target,$verbose=false)

// removes a directory and everything within it

{

$exceptions=array('.','..');

if (!$sourcedir=@opendir($target))

    {

    if ($verbose)

        echo '<strong>Couldn&#146;t open '.$target."</strong><br />\n";

    return false;

    }

while(false!==($sibling=readdir($sourcedir)))

    {

    if(!in_array($sibling,$exceptions))

        {

        $object=str_replace('//','/',$target.'/'.$sibling);

        if($verbose)

            echo 'Processing: <strong>'.$object."</strong><br />\n";

        if(is_dir($object))

            rmdirr($object);

        if(is_file($object))

            {

            $result=@unlink($object);

            if ($verbose&&$result)

                echo "File has been removed<br />\n";

            if ($verbose&&(!$result))

                echo "<strong>Couldn&#146;t remove file</strong>";

            }

        }

    }

closedir($sourcedir);

if($result=@rmdir($target))

    {

    if ($verbose)

        echo "Target directory has been removed<br />\n";

    return true;

    }

if ($verbose)

    echo "<strong>Couldn&#146;t remove target directory</strong>";

return false;

}

/*

// sample usage

<?php

require('./lib/rmdirr.inc.php');

rmdirr('D:/srv/Apache2/htdocs/testRm',true);

?>

//*/

?>

m dot winkel at stonkel dot de
08-Jun-2005 09:44


The example in the previous note will stop and return false, if there is an empty subdirectory. I suggest to modify this snipplet of the previous example:



<?

$matching = glob($fileglob);

     if ($matching === false) {

          trigger_error(sprintf('No files match supplied glob %s', $fileglob), E_USER_WARNING);

          return false;

     }



?>



Here is my version:



<?

$matching = glob($fileglob);

      if ($matching === false) {

          return true;

      }

?>



If there are no matching files in the directory, there is no need to delete something or to trigger an error. It just returns true and the (empty) directory will be deleted by the rmdir command.

bishop
05-Jun-2005 12:34


<?php

/**

 * rm() -- Vigorously erase files and directories.

 * 

 * @param $fileglob mixed If string, must be a file name (foo.txt), glob pattern (*.txt), or directory name.

 *                        If array, must be an array of file names, glob patterns, or directories.

 */

function rm($fileglob)

{

    if (is_string($fileglob)) {

        if (is_file($fileglob)) {

            return unlink($fileglob);

        } else if (is_dir($fileglob)) {

            $ok = rm("$fileglob/*");

            if (! $ok) {

                return false;

            }

            return rmdir($fileglob);

        } else {

            $matching = glob($fileglob);

            if ($matching === false) {

                trigger_error(sprintf('No files match supplied glob %s', $fileglob), E_USER_WARNING);

                return false;

            }       

            $rcs = array_map('rm', $matching);

            if (in_array(false, $rcs)) {

                return false;

            }

        }       

    } else if (is_array($fileglob)) {

        $rcs = array_map('rm', $fileglob);

        if (in_array(false, $rcs)) {

            return false;

        }

    } else {

        trigger_error('Param #1 must be filename or glob pattern, or array of filenames or glob patterns', E_USER_ERROR);

        return false;

    }



    return true;

}

?>

php at aithal dot org
28-May-2005 08:25


In the previous examples of recursive rmdir, people should take care to use the proper way of calling readdir:



<?



while (false !== ($file = readdir($dir))) {

   // do some stuff with $file

}



?>



If you don't use this syntax, the loop will halt if it ever comes across a file named '0'.



http://www.php.net/readdir - provides more info on why this is the case.



hth

vittal

development at lab-9 dot com
28-Apr-2005 09:35


Here a small and useful function for removing files by deleting also subdirectories recursive.



this function takes:

$target .. a absolute target path, f.e: /var/www/html/remove_this

$exceptions .. a array of directorynames which don't have to be removed .. usually unused as you want to delete whole directory :-)

$output=true .. outputs a status message of which file or directory the script just has accessed to;



<?php

function delete_files($target, $exceptions, $output=true)

{

    $sourcedir = opendir($target);

    while(false !== ($filename = readdir($sourcedir)))

    {

        if(!in_array($filename, $exceptions))

        {

            if($output)

            { echo "Processing: ".$target."/".$filename."<br>"; }

            if(is_dir($target."/".$filename))

            {

                // recurse subdirectory; call of function recursive

                delete_files($target."/".$filename, $exceptions);

            }

            else if(is_file($target."/".$filename))

            {

                // unlink file

                unlink($target."/".$filename);

            }

        }

    }

    closedir($sourcedir);

    if(rmdir($target))

    { return true; }

    else

    { return false; }

}

?>



here a example of function call:

<?php

$exceptions = array(".", "..");

if(delete_files("/var/www/html/this_dir", $exceptions, true))

{ echo "deletion successed"; }

else

{ echo "deletion failed"; }

?>



KNOWN ISSUE:

if you call the function with an exception folder and that folder is a childfolder, this function won't be able to remove the parent directory and returns false .. :-/ .. if someone knows a workaround please email me :-)

czambran at gmail dot com
05-Mar-2005 11:21


A quick note on the function posted by Daniellehr[-at-]gmx[-dot-]de, the function as it is will delete everything inside the directory but the directory. The problem is that the function does not close the directory before executing the rmdir line. Here is the corrected function:

function delDir($dirName) {

   if(empty($dirName)) {

       return true;

   }

   if(file_exists($dirName)) {

       $dir = dir($dirName);

       while($file = $dir->read()) {

           if($file != '.' && $file != '..') {

               if(is_dir($dirName.'/'.$file)) {

                   delDir($dirName.'/'.$file);

               } else {

                   @unlink($dirName.'/'.$file) or die('File '.$dirName.'/'.$file.' couldn\'t be deleted!');

               }

           }

       }

       $dir->close();

       @rmdir($dirName) or die('Folder '.$dirName.' couldn\'t be deleted!');

   } else {

       return false;

   }

   return true;

}

itsdapead
28-Feb-2005 09:03


Warning!  On Unix-type systems, most of the "delete directory tree" functions posted here will follow & delete symbolic links (which is not what you'd expect of, say, rm-rf) so you might find more than you bargained for getting wiped.



Here's a quick kludge of an earlier submission (by tekangel) that avoids this by default.



Make sure it does what you want before you uncomment the unlink and rmdir commands! 



<?

function rmdirRecursive($path,$followLinks=false) {

    

    $dir = opendir($path) ;

    while ( $entry = readdir($dir) ) {

        

        if ( is_file( "$path/$entry" ) || ((!$followLinks) && is_link("$path/$entry")) ) {

            echo ( "unlink $path/$entry;\n" );

            // Uncomment when happy!

            //unlink( "$path/$entry" );

        } elseif ( is_dir( "$path/$entry" ) && $entry!='.' && $entry!='..' ) {

            rmdirRecursive( "$path/$entry" ) ;

        }

    }

    closedir($dir) ;

    echo "rmdir $path;\n";

    // Uncomment when happy!

    // return rmdir($path);

}

?>

Daniellehr[-at-]gmx[-dot-]de
20-Feb-2005 01:55


If you want to delete a folder with its all content and sub-content you can use this recursive-working function

(WARNING: after using the function the folder is completely deleted!):

<?php

function delDir($dirName) {

    if(empty($dirName)) {

        return;

    }

    if(file_exists($dirName)) {

        $dir = dir($dirName);

        while($file = $dir->read()) {

            if($file != '.' && $file != '..') {

                if(is_dir($dirName.'/'.$file)) {

                    delDir($dirName.'/'.$file);

                } else {

                    @unlink($dirName.'/'.$file) or die('File '.$dirName.'/'.$file.' couldn\'t be deleted!');

                }

            }

        }

        @rmdir($dirName.'/'.$file) or die('Folder '.$dirName.'/'.$file.' couldn\'t be deleted!');

    } else {

        echo 'Folder "<b>'.$dirName.'</b>" doesn\'t exist.';

    }

}

?>

aidan at php dot net
05-Sep-2004 12:48


If you want to delete a file, or an entire folder (including the contents), use the below function.





http://aidan.dotgeek.org/lib/?file=function.rmdirr.php

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