posix_getpwnam

Return info about a user by username

&reftitle.description; ``array``false```posix_getpwnam` `string` `username`

Returns an `array` of information about the given user.

&reftitle.parameters;

`username`

- An alphanumeric username.

&reftitle.returnvalues;

On success an array with the following elements is returned, else &false; is returned:

## The user information array

Element | Description
name | The name element contains the username of the user. This is a short, usually less than 16 character "handle" of the user, not the real, full name. This should be the same as the `username` parameter used when calling the function, and hence redundant.
passwd | The passwd element contains the user's password in an encrypted format. Often, for example on a system employing "shadow" passwords, an asterisk is returned instead.
uid | User ID of the user in numeric form.
gid | The group ID of the user. Use the function `posix_getgrgid` to resolve the group name and a list of its members.
gecos | GECOS is an obsolete term that refers to the finger information field on a Honeywell batch processing system. The field, however, lives on, and its contents have been formalized by POSIX. The field contains a comma separated list containing the user's full name, office phone, office number, and home phone number. On most systems, only the user's full name is available.
dir | This element contains the absolute path to the home directory of the user.
shell | The shell element contains the absolute path to the executable of the user's default shell.

&reftitle.examples;

### Example use of `posix_getpwnam`

    <?php

    $userinfo = posix_getpwnam("tom");

    print_r($userinfo);
    ?>

&example.outputs.similar;

    Array
    (
        [name]    => tom
        [passwd]  => x
        [uid]     => 10000
        [gid]     => 42
        [gecos]   => "tom,,,"
        [dir]     => "/home/tom"
        [shell]   => "/bin/bash"
    )

&reftitle.seealso;

- `posix_getpwuid`
- POSIX man page GETPWNAM(3)