What are the differences between using fread() and file_get_contents() to read the content of a file in PHP?

When reading the content of a file in PHP, the main differences between using fread() and file_get_contents() are in their ease of use and the amount of code required. fread() is more low-level and gives you more control over how much data you read at a time, whereas file_get_contents() is a higher-level function that reads the entire file into a string in one go.

// Using fread()
$handle = fopen("file.txt", "r");
if ($handle) {
    while (($line = fgets($handle)) !== false) {
        // Process $line
    }
    fclose($handle);
}

// Using file_get_contents()
$content = file_get_contents("file.txt");
// Process $content