Does ob_start buffer images?

JHobbs

Hi All,
I want to stop the output of a readfile going to the browser. I have used the ob_start / ob_end_clean combination but the output still is sent to the browser. Can anyone see what I'm doing wrong?

Here is the abreviated code:

<?php
header("Content-type: image/jpeg");
ob_start();

readfile("myfile.jpeg");
ob_end_clean
?>

Shrike

PHP's output buffering buffers the result of output statements - echo, print etc. To 'buffer' a file just stick it in a variable.

Weedpacket

By definition, [man]readfile[/man] writes to the output buffer. I think your problem is more likely the missing () from ob_end_clean.

JHobbs

That's interesting.

With the addition of the parenthesis, I get the following error:

The image "Whatever.php" cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

hmmm

JHobbs

I have looked back at past submissions to this forum regarding ob_start and it appears to be a common problem. If you want to read an image from file to a variable and stop it from displaying in the browser, you're out of luck.

I have tried reading the image directly into a variable and I have tried using ob_get_contents(), but nothing seems to work.

I don't know whether this is a bug or an intended limitation. Perhaps I'm missing something obvious or there is another way of doing this.

After many hours of trying this, I'm very frustrated.

Any help?....... PLEASE!

Shrike

Huh?

$file = "somefile.gif";
$fhandle = fopen($file, "rb");
$fdata = fread($fhandle, filesize($file));
fclose($fhandle);
echo $fdata;

Do you mean you want to get a file into memory, and have it render properly in a browser at a later point?

JHobbs

Thanks for your reply, Shrike.

That's exactly what I want to do.

I should point something else out. For simplicity I stated in my example that I am reading an image from file. I did this because it was the simplist way of demonstrating my problem; however, I am actually reading the image from a CGI.

My problem is that the image will not go into a variable (for future use) but goes straight to the browser.