In PHP, what are the differences between including a file with configuration settings using include/require and reading the file with file()?

When including a file with configuration settings using include/require, the contents of the file are executed as PHP code and the variables are available in the current scope. On the other hand, reading the file with file() simply reads the contents of the file as an array of lines, without executing any PHP code. If you just need to access the configuration settings without executing any code, using file() is more appropriate. 

// Using include/require to include a file with configuration settings
require 'config.php';

// Using file() to read a file with configuration settings
$lines = file('config.txt', FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES);
foreach ($lines as $line) {
    // Process each line as needed
}

Keywords

PHP include require file() configuration settings

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