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fgetcsv

PHP function Edit on GitHub ✎

(PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8)

Gets line from file pointer and parse for CSV fields

Description

fgetcsv(resource $stream, int|null $length = null, string $separator = ",", string $enclosure = "\"", string $escape = "\\"): array|false

Similar to fgets() except that fgetcsv() parses the line it reads for fields in CSV format and returns an array containing the fields read.

Note

The locale settings are taken into account by this function. For example, data encoded in certain one-byte encodings may be parsed incorrectly if LC_CTYPE is en_US.UTF-8.

Parameters

stream

A valid file pointer to a file successfully opened by fopen(), popen(), or fsockopen().

length

Must be greater than the longest line (in characters) to be found in the CSV file (allowing for trailing line-end characters). Otherwise the line is split in chunks of length characters, unless the split would occur inside an enclosure.

Omitting this parameter (or setting it to 0, or null in PHP 8.0.0 or later) the maximum line length is not limited, which is slightly slower.

separator

The separator parameter sets the field separator. It must be a single byte character.

enclosure

The enclosure parameter sets the field enclosure character. It must be a single byte character.

escape

The escape parameter sets the escape character. It must be a single byte character or the empty string. The empty string ("") disables the proprietary escape mechanism.

Warning

In the input stream, the enclosure character can always be escaped by doubling it inside a quoted string, resulting in a single enclosure character in the parsed result. The escape character works differently: If a sequence of escape and enclosure characters appear in the input, both characters will be present in the parsed result. So for the default parameters, a CSV line like "a""b","c\"d" will have the fields parsed as a"b and c\"d, respectively.

Warning

As of PHP 8.4.0, depending on the default value of escape is deprecated. It needs to be provided explicitly either positionally or by the use of named arguments.

Escape-parameter

Return Values

Returns an indexed array containing the fields read on success, Falseforfailure.

Note

A blank line in a CSV file will be returned as an array comprising a single null field, and will not be treated as an error.

Line-endings

Errors/Exceptions

Throws a ValueError if separator or enclosure is not one byte long.

Throws a ValueError if escape is not one byte long or the empty string.

Changelog

Version	Description
8.4.0	Relying on the default value of `escape` is now deprecated.
8.3.0	An empty string is returned instead of a string with a single null byte for the last field if it contains only an unterminated enclosure.
8.0.0	`length` is now nullable.
7.4.0	The `escape` parameter now also accepts an empty string to disable the proprietary escape mechanism.

Examples

Read and print the entire contents of a CSV file

php

<?php

if (($handle = fopen("test.csv", "r")) !== false) {
    $row = 1;

    while (($fields = fgetcsv($handle, 1000, ",", "\"", "\\")) !== false) {
        $num = count($fields);

        echo "\n<p>$num fields in line $row:</p>\n<ol>";

        for ($c = 0; $c < $num; $c++) {
            echo "\n\t<li>", $fields[$c], "</li>";
        }

        echo "\n</ol>";

        $row++;
    }

    fclose($handle);
}