What is the difference between using include() and readfile() in PHP?

The main difference between using include() and readfile() in PHP is that include() is used to include and execute a specified file in the current script, while readfile() is used to read and output the contents of a file. If you want to include the contents of a file in your PHP script and execute any PHP code within that file, you should use include(). However, if you simply want to output the contents of a file without executing any PHP code within it, you should use readfile(). 

// Using include() to include and execute a file
include('file.php');

// Using readfile() to read and output the contents of a file
readfile('file.txt');

Keywords

include readfile PHP file handling differences

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