File Helper

The File Helper provides utility functions for writing, deleting, and copying files in LavaLust. It simplifies file system operations while handling proper locking, directory traversal, and optional behaviors.

Note

These helper functions rely on PHP’s native file system functions like fopen(), fwrite(), unlink(), scandir(), and copy(). Ensure your PHP scripts have proper file and directory permissions to perform these operations safely.

Function Summary

Function

Description

write_file()

Writes data to a file with exclusive locking.

delete_files()

Deletes files in a directory, optionally removing the directory itself.

copy_file()

Copies or moves a file to a new location.

Available Functions

write_file($file, $content, $mode = 'w')

Writes the given content to a file using exclusive locking to prevent race conditions.

Parameters:

  • $file (string) – Full path to the file to write.

  • $content (string) – The content to write to the file.

  • $mode (string) – File mode for writing (default: w).

Returns:

int|false — Number of bytes written, or FALSE on failure.

Example:

<?php
$result = write_file('/path/to/file.txt', "Hello, LavaLust!");
if ($result !== false) {
    echo "File written successfully!";
}
delete_files($dir_path, $del_dir = FALSE, $htdocs = FALSE)

Deletes all files in a directory, optionally removing subdirectories and the directory itself. Can preserve common web files like .htaccess or index.php if $htdocs is TRUE.

Parameters:

  • $dir_path (string) – Path to the directory to delete files from.

  • $del_dir (bool) – Whether to delete the directory itself (default: FALSE).

  • $htdocs (bool) – Whether to preserve web files like .htaccess or index.php (default: FALSE).

Returns:

bool — TRUE on success, FALSE on failure.

Example:

<?php
// Delete all files but keep the directory
delete_files('/path/to/directory');

// Delete all files and the directory itself
delete_files('/path/to/directory', TRUE);
copy_file($path, $copy_path, $remove_original = FALSE)

Copies a file to a new location, or moves it if $remove_original is TRUE.

Parameters:

  • $path (string) – Path to the source file.

  • $copy_path (string) – Path to the destination file.

  • $remove_original (bool) – If TRUE, the file is moved instead of copied.

Returns:

bool — TRUE on success, FALSE on failure.

Example:

<?php
// Copy a file
copy_file('/path/to/file.txt', '/new/path/file.txt');

// Move a file
copy_file('/path/to/file.txt', '/new/path/file.txt', TRUE);

Additional Notes

  • write_file() uses exclusive locking via flock() to prevent concurrent write issues.

  • delete_files() can skip important web files if $htdocs is TRUE.

  • copy_file() is a simple wrapper for copy() or rename() depending on whether you want to move or copy the file.

  • Always ensure that your PHP process has sufficient permissions for the directories and files involved.