What is the purpose of using the exit; function at the end of PHP code that initiates file downloads?

The purpose of using the exit; function at the end of PHP code that initiates file downloads is to prevent any additional output from being sent to the browser after the file download has been initiated. This ensures that the file is downloaded correctly without any interference from other content. 

<?php
// Code to initiate file download
$file_path = 'path/to/file.pdf';

header('Content-Type: application/pdf');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . basename($file_path) . '"');
readfile($file_path);

exit;
?>

Keywords

exit PHP function file downloads termination control flow

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