parse_ini_file()

parse_ini_file() — Parse a configuration file.

Built-in function of PHP 8.5. The manual lists it as available in PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8. This page is the reference card: signature, parameters and return value, plus the changelog and the example the manual provides.

What it does

parse_ini_file() loads in the ini file specified in filename, and returns the settings in it in an associative array.

Signature

parse_ini_file(string $filename, bool $process_sections = false, int $scanner_mode = INI_SCANNER_NORMAL): array|false

Parameters

Parameter	Type	What it takes
$filename	string	The filename of the ini file being parsed. If a relative path is used, it is evaluated relative to the current working directory, then the include_path.
$process_sections	bool	By setting the process_sections parameter to true, you get a multidimensional array, with the section names and settings included. The default for process_sections is false
$scanner_mode	int	Can either be INI_SCANNER_NORMAL (default) or INI_SCANNER_RAW. If INI_SCANNER_RAW is supplied, then option values will not be parsed.

Return value

The settings are returned as an associative array on success, and false on failure.

Example

A runnable snippet:

define('BIRD', 'Dodo bird'); // Parse without sections $ini_array = parse_ini_file("sample.ini"); print_r($ini_array); // Parse with sections $ini_array = parse_ini_file("sample.ini", true); print_r($ini_array);

Output:

Array ( [one] => 1 [five] => 5 [animal] => Dodo bird [path] => /usr/local/bin [URL] => http://www.example.com/~username [phpversion] => Array ( [0] => 5.0 [1] => 5.1 [2] => 5.2 [3] => 5.3 ) [urls] => Array ( [svn] => http://svn.php.net [git] => http://git.php.net ) ) Array ( [first_section] => Array ( [one] => 1 [five] => 5 [animal] => Dodo bird ) [second_section] => Array ( [path] => /usr/local/bin [URL] => http://www.example.com/~username ) [third_section] => Array ( [phpversion] => Array ( [0] => 5.0 [1] => 5.1 [2] => 5.2 [3] => 5.3 ) [urls] => Array ( [svn] => http://svn.php.net [git] => http://git.php.net ) ) )