How to Extract File Extensions in PHP: Explode vs. Pathinfo

How to Retrieve File Extensions in PHP

When working with uploaded files in PHP, it's often necessary to extract the file extension. However, using string functions like 'explode' can result in unexpected output.

Exploding File Names

The provided code attempts to extract the file extension using 'explode' on the file name. While this approach separates the name into an array, it requires additional processing to isolate the extension itself.

$userfile_name = $_FILES['image']['name'];
$userfile_extn = explode(".", strtolower($_FILES['image']['name']));

Utilizing Pathinfo

A better solution is to use the 'pathinfo' function, which is specifically designed for extracting file information.

$path = $_FILES['image']['name'];
$ext = pathinfo($path, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);

The 'pathinfo' function takes two parameters: the file path and the specific information to retrieve. In this case, 'PATHINFO_EXTENSION' is used to obtain the file extension.

This method provides a more efficient and accurate way to get the file extension, without the need for additional processing.

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