PHP | ftp_delete() function

The ftp_delete() function is an inbuilt function in PHP which is used to delete a file on the FTP server.

Syntax:

ftp_delete( $ftp_connection, $file )

Parameters: This function accepts two parameters as mentioned above and described below:  

• $ftp_connection: It is required parameter. It specifies the already existing FTP connection to use for execution of FTP commands or functions.
• $file: It is required parameter. It specifies the file path to the server to be deleted.

Return Value: It returns TRUE on success or FALSE on failure.

Note:

• This function is available for PHP 4.0.0 and newer version.
• The following examples cannot be run on online IDE. So try to run in some PHP hosting server or localhost with proper ftp server name, user and password.
• ★★★ Make sure file provided as parameter to delete exists and have permission to delete by the ftp user logged in ftp connection otherwise it will generate error.

Example:

PHP

<?php

// Connect to FTP server

// Assign ftp server to the variable
$ftp_server = "localhost";

// Use correct ftp username
$ftp_username="user";

// Use correct ftp password corresponding
// to the ftp username
$ftp_userpass="user";

// Filename or filename with path to specify
// the file on server to be deleted
$file = "test.txt";

// Establishing ftp connection
$ftp_connection = ftp_connect($ftp_server)
        or die("Could not connect to $ftp_server");

if($ftp_connection) {
    echo "successfully connected to the ftp server!";

    // Logging in to established connection with
    // ftp username and password
    $login = ftp_login($ftp_connection, $ftp_username, $ftp_userpass);

    if($login) {

        // Checking whether logged in successfully or not
        echo "<br>logged in successfully!";

        // ftp_delete() function to delete file from FTP server
        if (ftp_delete($ftp_connection, $file)) {
            echo "<br>deletion of " . $file . " is successful.";
        }
        else {
            echo "<br>Error while deleting the file " . $file;
        }
    }
    else {
        echo "<br>login failed!";
    }

    // Closing  connection
    if(ftp_close($ftp_connection)) {
        echo "<br>Connection closed Successfully!";
    }
}
?>

Output:

successfully connected to the ftp server!
logged in successfully!
deletion of ./htdocs/test.txt is successful.
Connection closed Successfully!

If the file is deleted and once again run the same program provided that file doesn’t exist as already deleted so an error will occur. output will look like  

successfully connected to the ftp server!
logged in successfully!
Error while deleting the file ./htdocs/test.txt
Connection closed Successfully!

Reference: https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.ftp-delete.php