fgetcsv

Gets line from file pointer and parse for CSV fields

&reftitle.description; ``array``false```fgetcsv` `resource` `stream` ``int``null```length`&null; `string` `separator`"," `string` `enclosure`"\"" `string` `escape`"\\"

Similar to `fgets` except that `fgetcsv` parses the line it reads for fields in CSV format and returns an array containing the fields read.

The locale settings are taken into account by this function. For example, data encoded in certain one-byte encodings may be parsed incorrectly if `LC_CTYPE` is `en_US.UTF-8`.

&reftitle.parameters;

`stream`

- A valid file pointer to a file successfully opened by `fopen`, `popen`, or `fsockopen`.

`length`

- Must be greater than the longest line (in characters) to be found in the CSV file (allowing for trailing line-end characters). Otherwise the line is split in chunks of `length` characters, unless the split would occur inside an enclosure.

  Omitting this parameter (or setting it to 0, or &null; in PHP 8.0.0 or later) the maximum line length is not limited, which is slightly slower.

`separator`

- The `separator` parameter sets the field separator. It must be a single byte character.

`enclosure`

- The `enclosure` parameter sets the field enclosure character. It must be a single byte character.

`escape`

- The `escape` parameter sets the escape character. It must be a single byte character or the empty string. The empty string (`""`) disables the proprietary escape mechanism.

  Usually an `enclosure` character is escaped 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.

  As of PHP 8.4.0, depending on the default value of `escape` is deprecated. It needs to be provided explicitly either positionally or by the use of named arguments.

&warning.csv.escape-parameter;
&reftitle.returnvalues;

Returns an indexed array containing the fields read on success, &return.falseforfailure;.

A blank line in a CSV file will be returned as an array comprising a single `null` field, and will not be treated as an error.

¬e.line-endings;
&reftitle.errors;

Throws a ValueError if `separator` or `enclosure` is not one byte long.

Throws a ValueError if `escape` is not one byte long or the empty string.

&reftitle.changelog;

&Version; | &Description;
8.4.0 | Relying on the default value of `escape` is now deprecated.
8.3.0 | An empty string is returned instead of a string with a single null byte for the last field if it contains only an unterminated enclosure.
8.0.0 | `length` is now nullable.
7.4.0 | The `escape` parameter now also accepts an empty string to disable the proprietary escape mechanism.

&reftitle.examples;

### Read and print the entire contents of a CSV file

    <?php
    $row = 1;
    if (($handle = fopen("test.csv", "r")) !== FALSE) {
        while (($data = fgetcsv($handle, 1000, ",")) !== FALSE) {
            $num = count($data);
            echo "<p> $num fields in line $row: <br /></p>\n";
            $row++;
            for ($c=0; $c < $num; $c++) {
                echo $data[$c] . "<br />\n";
            }
        }
        fclose($handle);
    }
    ?>

&reftitle.seealso;

- `fputcsv`
- `str_getcsv`
- `SplFileObject::fgetcsv`
- `SplFileObject::fputcsv`
- `SplFileObject::setCsvControl`
- `SplFileObject::getCsvControl`
- `explode`
- `file`
- `pack`