What is the use of the die() Function in PHP?

In PHP, the die( ) function is used to immediately terminate script execution and output a message. It is often used to handle critical errors or to provide custom error messages before stopping the script execution abruptly.

Syntax

die(message);

Features

• The die() function halts the execution of the script immediately after its invocation.
• It is commonly used for error handling or to provide a custom message before terminating script execution.
• If no message is provided, die() outputs a default message indicating “Died”.

Difference Between die() Function and exit() Function

die()	exit()
Alias for exit() function with a message parameter	Equivalent to die() with no message parameter
Used to terminate script execution with an optional message	Used to terminate script execution without any message
Output a message to the browser or console before termination	Terminates script execution without outputting any message

Example:

$file = fopen("example.txt", "r");
if (!$file) {

    // Terminate script execution with custom error message
    die("Unable to open file."); 
}
// Continue script execution if file is successfully opened