How can PHP functions like file_get_contents() be used to retrieve content from external URLs, and what are the implications of doing so?

To retrieve content from external URLs using PHP functions like file_get_contents(), you can simply pass the URL as a parameter to the function. However, it is important to note that this method can have security implications, such as allowing remote code execution or exposing sensitive information. It is recommended to validate and sanitize the URL input before using it in the file_get_contents() function. 

$url = 'https://www.example.com/data.txt';

// Validate and sanitize the URL input
if (filter_var($url, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL)) {
    $content = file_get_contents($url);
    // Process the retrieved content
} else {
    echo 'Invalid URL';
}

Keywords

PHP file_get_contents() external URLs content retrieval implications

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