PHP rmdir Function

last modified April 3, 2025

The PHP rmdir function removes an empty directory from the filesystem. It's essential for directory management in PHP applications.

Basic Definition

The rmdir function attempts to remove the specified directory. The directory must be empty and the script must have proper permissions.

Syntax: rmdir(string $directory, resource $context = null): bool. Returns true on success or false on failure. Throws warnings on errors.

Basic rmdir Example

This shows the simplest usage of rmdir to remove an empty directory.

basic_rmdir.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$dir = "temp_dir";

if (rmdir($dir)) {
    echo "Directory removed successfully";
} else {
    echo "Failed to remove directory";
}

This attempts to remove "temp_dir". The directory must exist and be empty. The function returns true on success, false on failure.

Checking Directory Existence

It's good practice to check if directory exists and is empty before removal.

check_before_rmdir.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$dir = "empty_dir";

if (file_exists($dir) && is_dir($dir)) {
    if (count(scandir($dir)) == 2) {
        rmdir($dir);
        echo "Directory removed";
    } else {
        echo "Directory not empty";
    }
} else {
    echo "Directory does not exist";
}

This checks existence and emptiness before removal. scandir returns array with "." and ".." for empty directories (count = 2).

Handling rmdir Errors

Proper error handling makes directory removal more robust.

error_handling.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$dir = "non_empty_dir";

try {
    if (!rmdir($dir)) {
        throw new RuntimeException("Could not remove directory");
    }
    echo "Directory removed successfully";
} catch (RuntimeException $e) {
    echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
}

This uses exception handling to manage rmdir failures. The RuntimeException provides details about what went wrong.

Relative and Absolute Paths

rmdir works with both relative and absolute directory paths.

path_types.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

// Relative path
$relativeDir = "temp/subdir";
rmdir($relativeDir);

// Absolute path
$absoluteDir = "/var/www/temp/subdir";
rmdir($absoluteDir);

Both path types work with rmdir. Relative paths are resolved relative to the current working directory of the script.

Using Context Parameter

The optional context parameter can modify how the function behaves.

context_parameter.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

$dir = "temp_dir";
$context = stream_context_create();

if (rmdir($dir, $context)) {
    echo "Directory removed with context";
} else {
    echo "Failed to remove directory";
}

Context can specify stream options like timeout or notification callbacks. This example shows basic context usage with default options.

Best Practices

Check emptiness: Always verify directory is empty first.
Error handling: Implement proper error handling.
Permissions: Ensure script has delete permissions.
Relative paths: Be careful with relative path resolution.
Cleanup: Consider recursive deletion for non-empty dirs.

Source

PHP rmdir Documentation

This tutorial covered the PHP rmdir function with practical examples showing its usage in different scenarios.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

List all PHP Filesystem Functions.

Ebooks