PHP Manual
SplFileObject
Gets line from file and parse as CSV fields

SplFileObject::fgetcsv

(PHP 5 >= 5.1.0, PHP 7, PHP 8)

SplFileObject::fgetcsv — Gets line from file and parse as CSV fields

Description

public SplFileObject::fgetcsv(string $separator = ",", string $enclosure = "\"", string $escape = "\\"): array|false

Gets a line from the file which is in CSV format and returns an array containing the fields read.

Note:
The locale settings are taken into account by this function. If LC_CTYPE is e.g. en_US.UTF-8, files in one-byte encodings may be read wrongly by this function.

Parameters

separator: The field delimiter (one single-byte character only). Defaults as a comma or the value set using SplFileObject::setCsvControl().
enclosure: The field enclosure character (one single-byte character only). Defaults as a double quotation mark or the value set using SplFileObject::setCsvControl().
escape: The escape character (at most one single-byte character). Defaults as a backslash (\) or the value set using SplFileObject::setCsvControl(). An empty string ("") disables the proprietary escape mechanism.

Note: Usually an enclosure character is escpaped inside a field by doubling it; however, the escape character can be used as an alternative. So for the default parameter values "" and \" have the same meaning. Other than allowing to escape the enclosure character the escape character has no special meaning; it isn't even meant to escape itself.

Return Values

Returns an indexed array containing the fields read, or false on error.

Note:
A blank line in a CSV file will be returned as an array comprising a single null field unless using SplFileObject::SKIP_EMPTY | SplFileObject::DROP_NEW_LINE, in which case empty lines are skipped.

Changelog

Version	Description
7.4.0	The `escape` parameter now also accepts an empty string to disable the proprietary escape mechanism.

Examples

Example #1 SplFileObject::fgetcsv() example


<?php
$file = new SplFileObject("data.csv");
while (!$file->eof()) {
    var_dump($file->fgetcsv());
}
?>

Example #2 SplFileObject::READ_CSV example


<?php
$file = new SplFileObject("animals.csv");
$file->setFlags(SplFileObject::READ_CSV);
foreach ($file as $row) {
    list($animal, $class, $legs) = $row;
    printf("A %s is a %s with %d legs\n", $animal, $class, $legs);
}
?>

Contents of animals.csv

crocodile,reptile,4
dolphin,mammal,0
duck,bird,2
koala,mammal,4
salmon,fish,0

The above example will output something similar to:

A crocodile is a reptile with 4 legs
A dolphin is a mammal with 0 legs
A duck is a bird with 2 legs
A koala is a mammal with 4 legs
A salmon is a fish with 0 legs