Deleting all files from a folder using PHP

In PHP, files from a folder can be deleted using various approaches and inbuilt methods such as unlink, DirectoryIterator and DirectoryRecursiveIterator.
Some of these approaches are explained below:

Approach 1:

• Generate a list of files using glob() method
• Iterate over the list of files.
• Check whether the name of files is valid.
• Delete the file using unlink() method.

Example:

<?php
// PHP program to delete all
// file from a folder

// Folder path to be flushed
$folder_path = "myGeeks";

// List of name of files inside
// specified folder
$files = glob($folder_path.'/*');

// Deleting all the files in the list
foreach($files as $file) {

    if(is_file($file))

        // Delete the given file
        unlink($file);
}
?>

Output:
Before Running the code:

After Running the code:

Note: Hidden files can be included in the file removal operation by addition of the below code:

$hidden_files = glob($folder_path.'/{, .}*', GLOB_BRACE);

Approach 2:

• Generate a list of files using glob() method.
• Filter the list using array_filter() or array_merge() methods.
• Map the list to unlink() method using array_map() method.

Example:

<?php
// PHP program to delete all files from a folder

// Deleting all the files inside the given folder
array_map('unlink', array_filter(
            (array) array_merge(glob("myGeeks/*"))));

?>

Approach 3:

• Generate list of files using DirectoryIterator.
• Iterate over the list of files.
• Validate the file while checking if the file directory has a dot or not.
• Using the getPathName method reference, delete the file using unlink() method.

Example:

<?php
// PHP program to delete all files
// from a folder

// Folder path to be flushed
$folder_path = 'myGeeks/';

// Assigning files inside the directory
$dir = new DirectoryIterator(dirname($folder_path));

// Deleting all the files in the list
foreach ($dir as $fileinfo) {

    if (!$fileinfo->isDot()) {

        // Delete the given file
        unlink($fileinfo->getPathname());
    }
}
?>

Approach 4:

• Generate list of all directory hierarchies inside the given folder directory using RecursiveDirectoryIterator

  $dir = new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($dir, FilesystemIterator::SKIP_DOTS);
  $dir = new RecursiveIteratorIterator($dir, RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST);

• FilesystemIterator::SKIP_DOTS is used to ignore dots while generating list of files.
• RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST is used for choosing files present at root directory.
• Iterate over the file list and remove folders and files according to the specification.

Example:

<?php
// PHP program to delete all FilesystemIterator
// from a folder

// Folder path to be flushed
$dir = "myGeeks/";

// Assigning files inside the directory
$dir = new RecursiveDirectoryIterator(
    $dir, FilesystemIterator::SKIP_DOTS);

// Reducing file search to given root
// directory only
$dir = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(
    $dir,RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST);

// Removing directories and files inside
// the specified folder
foreach ( $dir as $file ) {
    $file->isDir() ?  rmdir($file) : unlink($file);
}
?>