rewind
Another simple way to recursively delete a directory that is not empty:
<?php
function rrmdir($dir) {
if (is_dir($dir)) {
$objects = scandir($dir);
foreach ($objects as $object) {
if ($object != "." && $object != "..") {
if (filetype($dir."/".$object) == "dir") rrmdir($dir."/".$object); else unlink($dir."/".$object);
}
}
reset($objects);
rmdir($dir);
}
}
?>
rmdir
(PHP 4, PHP 5)
rmdir — Removes directory
Description
bool rmdir
( string $dirname
[, resource $context
] )
Attempts to remove the directory named by dirname. The directory must be empty, and the relevant permissions must permit this. A E_WARNING level error will be generated on failure.
Parameters
- dirname
-
Path to the directory.
- context
-
Note: Context support was added with PHP 5.0.0. For a description of contexts, refer to Stream Functions.
Return Values
Returns TRUE on success or FALSE on failure.
Changelog
| Version | Description |
|---|---|
| 5.0.0 | As of PHP 5.0.0 rmdir() can also be used with some URL wrappers. Refer to List of Supported Protocols/Wrappers for a listing of which wrappers support rmdir(). |
Examples
Example #1 rmdir() example
<?php
if (!is_dir('examples')) {
mkdir('examples');
}
rmdir('examples');
?>
Notes
Note: When safe mode is enabled, PHP checks whether the directory in which the script is operating has the same UID (owner) as the script that is being executed.
add a note
User Contributed Notesrmdir
holger1 at NOSPAMzentralplan dot de
26-Jun-2010 09:00
26-Jun-2010 09:00
O S
18-Jun-2010 10:30
18-Jun-2010 10:30
This isn't my code, but just thought I would share, since it took me so long to find. This is a function to delete a folder, all sub-folders, and files in one clean move.
Just tell it what directory you want deleted, in relation to the page that this function is executed. Then set $empty = true if you want the folder just emptied, but not deleted. If you set $empty = false, or just simply leave it out, the given directory will be deleted, as well.
<?php
function deleteAll($directory, $empty = false) {
if(substr($directory,-1) == "/") {
$directory = substr($directory,0,-1);
}
if(!file_exists($directory) || !is_dir($directory)) {
return false;
} elseif(!is_readable($directory)) {
return false;
} else {
$directoryHandle = opendir($directory);
while ($contents = readdir($directoryHandle)) {
if($contents != '.' && $contents != '..') {
$path = $directory . "/" . $contents;
if(is_dir($path)) {
deleteAll($path);
} else {
unlink($path);
}
}
}
closedir($directoryHandle);
if($empty == false) {
if(!rmdir($directory)) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
}
?>
info at top-info dot org
28-Apr-2010 11:15
28-Apr-2010 11:15
The function delTree is dangerous when you dont take really care. I for example always deleted a temporary directory with it. Everthing went fine until the moment where the var containing this temporary directory wasnt set. The var didnt contain the path but an empty string. The function delTree was called and deleted all the files at my host!
So dont use this function when you dont have a proper handling coded. Dont think about using this function only for testing without such a handling.
Luckily nothing is lost because I had the local copy...
adrian at noodles dot hk
01-Apr-2010 11:17
01-Apr-2010 11:17
Just to warn that this function (deltree) will delete a file at the same level as the folder if it matches the name. In my case I had abc.zip and the folder abc, and just wanted to delete the folder.
Anonymous
21-Mar-2010 10:13
21-Mar-2010 10:13
Little addition to Kevins's function, since directories under Windows can end with backslash as well!
function delTree($dir) {
$files = glob( $dir . '*', GLOB_MARK );
foreach( $files as $file ){
if( is_dir( $file ) )
delTree( $file );
else
unlink( $file );
}
if (is_dir($dir)) rmdir( $dir );
}
steffen at wirsching-idstein dot de
17-Jan-2010 01:40
17-Jan-2010 01:40
Say, you're working on Windows and continue to get a permission's error without a reason. Then it may be that a different Windows program is working on the folder (see earlier notes also). In the case that you can't find that program, the line
<?php closedir(opendir($dirname)); ?>
may solve the problem!
Make sure to write this before rmdir($dirname);.
omikrosys at gmail dot com
09-Oct-2009 04:52
09-Oct-2009 04:52
Sometimes you would face situations in which rmdir($dirname) would give "permission denied" errors though you may have changed $dirname permissions. In such situations just change the permissions of the directory which contains $dirname and rmdir($dirname) would work like a charm.
Say you use rmdir('dirr'); then change the permissions of the folder that contains 'dirr'.
kevin at web-power dot co dot uk
02-Oct-2009 12:51
02-Oct-2009 12:51
I had situation where the rmdir was returning warning message as within last loop it was already removed. So here is quick fix by adding is_dir to the DelTree routine below
<?php
function delTree($dir) {
$files = glob( $dir . '*', GLOB_MARK );
foreach( $files as $file ){
if( substr( $file, -1 ) == '/' )
delTree( $file );
else
unlink( $file );
}
if (is_dir($dir)) rmdir( $dir );
}
?>
bcairns at gmail dot com
03-Aug-2009 04:59
03-Aug-2009 04:59
I wasn't having much luck with the recursive delete functions below, so I wrote my own:
<?php
// ensure $dir ends with a slash
function delTree($dir) {
$files = glob( $dir . '*', GLOB_MARK );
foreach( $files as $file ){
if( substr( $file, -1 ) == '/' )
delTree( $file );
else
unlink( $file );
}
rmdir( $dir );
}
?>
Simple. Works.
asn at asn24 dot dk
07-Jul-2009 04:08
07-Jul-2009 04:08
A patch to previous script to make sure rights for deletion is set:
<?php
//Delete folder function
function deleteDirectory($dir) {
if (!file_exists($dir)) return true;
if (!is_dir($dir) || is_link($dir)) return unlink($dir);
foreach (scandir($dir) as $item) {
if ($item == '.' || $item == '..') continue;
if (!deleteDirectory($dir . "/" . $item)) {
chmod($dir . "/" . $item, 0777);
if (!deleteDirectory($dir . "/" . $item)) return false;
};
}
return rmdir($dir);
}
?>
[EDITOR NOTE: "Credits to erkethan at free dot fr." - thiago]
senthryl at NOSPAM dot geemail dot com
25-Jun-2009 06:39
25-Jun-2009 06:39
Here's another version of the recursive directory removal. This version requires PHP 5, and returns TRUE on success or FALSE on failure.
<?php
function deleteDirectory($dir) {
if (!file_exists($dir)) return true;
if (!is_dir($dir)) return unlink($dir);
foreach (scandir($dir) as $item) {
if ($item == '.' || $item == '..') continue;
if (!deleteDirectory($dir.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.$item)) return false;
}
return rmdir($dir);
}
?>
j_terlouw at planet dot nl
17-Jun-2009 08:24
17-Jun-2009 08:24
This function deletes a folder and all it's subfolders and files.
<?php
function remove_dir($current_dir) {
if($dir = @opendir($current_dir)) {
while (($f = readdir($dir)) !== false) {
if($f > '0' and filetype($current_dir.$f) == "file") {
unlink($current_dir.$f);
} elseif($f > '0' and filetype($current_dir.$f) == "dir") {
remove_dir($current_dir.$f."\\");
}
}
closedir($dir);
rmdir($current_dir);
}
}
?>
Might need some improvement, but it works fine.
maurozadu at gmail dot com
16-Jun-2009 03:03
16-Jun-2009 03:03
if you opened a dir with opendir() you must closedir() before try to execute rmdir() or you will get a "permision denied" error on windows systems.
Wrong:
<?php
$handle = opendir($dirpath);
//do whatever you need
rmdir($dirpath);
?>
Right:
<?php
$handle = opendir($dirpath);
//do whatever you need
closedir($handle)
rmdir($dirpath);
?>
TrashF at taistelumarsu dot org
08-Aug-2008 10:21
08-Aug-2008 10:21
In case you're trying to rmdir() and you keep getting 'Permission denied' errors, make sure you don't have the directory still open after using opendir(). Especially when writing recursive functions for deleting directories, make sure you have closedir() BEFORE rmdir().
rn at clubfl dot com
18-Dec-2007 06:16
18-Dec-2007 06:16
I've noticed that when using this command on a windows platform you may encounter a permissions error which may seem unwarranted. This commonly occurs if you are or were using a program to edit something in the to be deleted folder and either the item is still in the folder or the program that was accessing the file in that folder is still running(causing it to hold onto the folder).
SO... if you get a permissions error and there shouldn't be an issue with folder permissions check if there are files in there then check if there is a program running that is or was using a file that was in that folder and kill it.
not at any dot com
14-Apr-2006 06:21
14-Apr-2006 06:21
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.