# stream_get_contents

(PHP 5)

stream_get_contents — Reads remainder of a stream into a string

### Description

string stream_get_contents ( resource `$handle` [, int `$maxlength` [, int `$offset` ]] )

Identical to file_get_contents(), except that stream_get_contents() operates on an already open stream resource and returns the remaining contents in a string, up to `maxlength` bytes and starting at the specified `offset` .

### Parameters

`handle` (resource)

  A stream resource (e.g. returned from fopen())

`maxlength` (integer)

  The maximum bytes to read. Defaults to -1 (read all the remaining buffer).

`offset` (integer)

  Seek to the specified offset before reading. Added in PHP 5.1.0.

### Return Values

Returns a string, or `FALSE` on failure.

### Examples

Example#1 stream_get_contents() example

`<?php
if ($stream = fopen('http://www.example.com', 'r')) {
// print all the page starting at the offset 10
echo stream_get_contents($stream, -1, 10);
fclose($stream);
}
if ($stream = fopen('http://www.example.net', 'r')) {
// print the first 5 bytes
echo stream_get_contents($stream, 5);
fclose($stream);
}
?>`

### See Also

- fgets()
- fread()
- fpassthru()

> Note: This function is binary-safe.