PHP glob Function

last modified April 3, 2025

The PHP glob function searches for files matching a pattern. It’s similar to shell-style wildcards but works across different platforms.

Basic Definition

The glob function returns an array of filenames matching a specified pattern. It takes two parameters: the pattern string and optional flags.

Syntax: glob(string $pattern, int $flags = 0): array|false. The function returns false on failure or an array of matched files/directories.

Basic glob Example

This shows the simplest usage of glob to find PHP files.

basic_glob.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$files = glob("*.php");

foreach ($files as $file) { echo $file . “\n”; }

This finds all PHP files in the current directory. The pattern uses the wildcard

• which matches any characters. Each filename is printed on a new line.

Recursive Directory Search

Using the GLOB_BRACE flag allows more complex pattern matching.

recursive_glob.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$files = glob("{.php,.txt}", GLOB_BRACE);

foreach ($files as $file) { echo $file . “\n”; }

This finds both PHP and text files in one operation. The curly braces {} create a set of patterns to match. GLOB_BRACE enables this extended syntax.

Directory Listing

glob can list directories using the GLOB_ONLYDIR flag.

directory_listing.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$dirs = glob("*", GLOB_ONLYDIR);

foreach ($dirs as $dir) { echo $dir . “\n”; }

This lists all directories in the current folder. The * pattern matches any name, but GLOB_ONLYDIR filters to only directories. Each directory name is output.

Case Insensitive Search

The GLOB_NOCASE flag makes pattern matching case insensitive.

case_insensitive.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$files = glob("*.{PHP,Php,pHp}", GLOB_BRACE | GLOB_NOCASE);

foreach ($files as $file) { echo $file . “\n”; }

This finds PHP files regardless of their extension case. The flags are combined with the | operator. Both pattern variations and case are handled.

Absolute Path Search

glob can search with absolute paths and return full paths.

absolute_path.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$files = glob("/var/www/html/images/*.jpg");

foreach ($files as $file) { echo $file . “\n”; }

This searches for JPG files in a specific absolute directory. The returned array contains full paths to each matching file. This is useful for exact locations.

Edge Cases

glob has some special behaviors worth noting.

edge_cases.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

// No matches returns empty array $empty = glob(“nonexistent*”); var_dump($empty);

// Dot files require explicit pattern $hidden = glob(".*"); var_dump($hidden);

When no matches are found, glob returns an empty array, not false. Hidden files (starting with .) require explicit patterns to be matched.

Best Practices

• Error Handling: Check return value for false on errors.

• Performance: Avoid overly broad patterns on large dirs.

• Security: Validate patterns when using user input.

• Portability: Be aware of filesystem case sensitivity.

• Memory: Large result sets may consume significant memory.

Source

PHP glob Documentation

This tutorial covered the PHP glob function with practical examples showing its pattern matching capabilities.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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