# readfile

(PHP 4, PHP 5)

readfile — Outputs a file

### Description

int readfile ( string `$filename` [, bool `$use_include_path` [, resource `$context` ]] )

Reads a file and writes it to the output buffer.

### Parameters

`filename`

  The filename being read.

`use_include_path`

  You can use the optional second parameter and set it to `TRUE`, if you want to search for the file in the include_path, too.

`context`

  A context stream resource.

### Return Values

Returns the number of bytes read from the file. If an error occurs, `FALSE` is returned and unless the function was called as @readfile(), an error message is printed.

### Notes

Tip

You can use a URL as a filename with this function if the fopen wrappers have been enabled. See fopen() for more details on how to specify the filename and List of Supported Protocols/Wrappers for a list of supported URL protocols.

> Note: Context support was added with PHP 5.0.0. For a description of contexts, refer to Streams.

### See Also

- fpassthru()
- file()
- fopen()
- include()
- require()
- virtual()
- file_get_contents()
- List of Supported Protocols/Wrappers