What are the advantages of using file_get_contents over the copy() function when retrieving files from external servers?

When retrieving files from external servers in PHP, using file_get_contents() is often preferred over the copy() function because file_get_contents() allows for more flexibility and control. With file_get_contents(), you can easily retrieve the contents of a file as a string, allowing you to manipulate it or process it further. Additionally, file_get_contents() is more efficient for reading remote files as it does not require a write operation like copy() does.

// Using file_get_contents to retrieve a file from an external server
$url = 'https://www.example.com/file.txt';
$file_contents = file_get_contents($url);

// Do something with the file contents
echo $file_contents;