PHP Filesystem fgetss() Function

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The PHP Filesystem fgetss() function returns a line from an open file while removing all PHP and HTML tags. This is useful when you want to read content from a file and make sure that there are no unwanted formatting tags or code present.

This function is similar to fgets() function except that fgetss() function can attempt to strip any HTML and PHP tags from text it reads.

Syntax

Below is the syntax of the PHP Filesystem fgetss() function −

string fgetss ( resource $handle [, int $length [, string $allowable_tags ]] )

Parameters

Here are the required and optional parameters of the fgetss() function −

Return Value

The function creates a string once it removes the HTML and PHP tags from the line it was given by the file. It returns FALSE when an error occurs or the end of the file (EOF) is reached.

PHP Version

The fgetss() function was first introduced as part of core PHP 4 and work well with the PHP 5, PHP 7. This function has been deprecated in PHP 7.3.0 and removed from PHP version 8.0.0. It is strongly advised against using this function on its own.

Example

This PHP code will show you the basic usage of the PHP Filesystem fgetss() function. And read the file content and print the content after removing the HTML and PHP tags.

<?php
   $handle = @fopen("/PhpProject/test.php", "r");
   if ($handle) {
      while (!feof($handle)) {
         $buffer = fgetss($handle, 4096);
         echo $buffer;
      }
      fclose($handle);
   }
?>

Output

This will produce the following result −

Welcome to Tutorialspoint  

Example

Now we will try to filter the custom tags from the given file content. And use fgetss() function to handle this process. Also we have used fopen(), feof() and fclose() functions other than the fgetss().

<?php
   $handle = @fopen("/PhpProject/test.php", "r");
   if ($handle) {
      while (!feof($handle)) {
         $buffer = fgetss($handle, 4096, "<p>, <b>");
         echo $buffer;
      }
      fclose($handle);
   }
?>

Output

This will generate the below result −

Welcome to Tutorialspoint 

Example

In this example we will use the fgetss() function to read from a PHP file and remove PHP code.

<?php
   // Open the html file here using fopen()
   $handle = fopen("/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/mac/index.php", "r");

   if ($handle) {
      while (!feof($handle)) {
         $buffer = fgetss($handle, 4096);
         echo $buffer;
      }
      fclose($handle);
   } else {
      echo "Unable to open file.";
   }
?> 

Output

This will create the below outcome −

echo "This is the example of fgetss function.";

Example

In this example we will use the fgetss() function to read from the given file and filter the unwanted content. The amount that will be read from the file in a single iteration is defined by the buffer size, which is 4096.

<?php
   // Open the html file here using fopne()
   $handle = fopen("/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/mac/myfile.md", "r");

   if ($handle) {
      while (!feof($handle)) {
         $buffer = fgetss($handle, 4096, "<p>,<b>,<h1>,<h2>,<h3>");
         echo $buffer;
      }
      fclose($handle);
   } else {
      echo "Unable to open file.";
   }
?> 

myfile.md

# This is an Example

This is **Tutorialspoint** Website.

## Subheading

This is a great platform for learning.

### Another Subheading

Learn and Explore.

Output

This will create the below result −

This is an Example
This is Tutorialspoint Website.
Subheading
This is a great platform for learning.
Another Subheading
Learn and Explore.

Note

It is important to know that the fgetss() function removes PHP and HTML tags from the content when used. But from PHP 7.3.0, it is deprecated, and in PHP 8.0.0, it is completely deleted.

Summary

In PHP, fgetss() function can be used to read lines from a file while deleting HTML and PHP elements. It takes a file handle, an optional string parameter that indicates the allowed HTML tags to include in the returned string, and an optional length parameter that shows the longest line to be read.