Read specific entry from file directory

Appleluza

Is there a way to use PHP to read forward from a specific starting point in a directory? Let's say I've opened a directory on a file system, I've read through the first X-number of entries, now I need to go do something else, but I want to come back later in the program and continue reading from the point I left off in the directory. Can I store some variable value that lets me come back and read from the same point?

This would be like reading through an array with an index value. Can I do this with a PHP construct of some kind, or do I have to call a shell script?

Thanks,

Rob T
Wash DC

dagon

I would use readdir() or glob() and put the dir contents in an array, then just keep track of the key to know were you are up to.

Appleluza

Right.

So, if I have read the first five entries in a directory with 10 entries, and stored the file names in an array -- then I go off and do something else for a while in the code -- when I come back and want to read the sixth entry, how do I do that?

Can I read the sixth entry directly?

Can I read the fifth entry directly (because I know the file name as it was stored in my array), and then read-next-entry to get to the sixth entry?

Do I have to read the whole directory from the beginning, and just know that the sixth entry read is the one I want becasue entries 1-5 where read previoulsy and I know they were read because I stored the contents in an array?

Thanks for you help.

Rob T
Wash DC

dagon

once its in the array the 6th entry will be $array['6'];

dagon

woops - make that $array['5'] as they start at 0 by default.