How to save memory when reading a file in Php?

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Try SplFileObject

echo memory_get_usage(), PHP_EOL;        // 333200

$file = new SplFileObject('bible.txt');  // 996kb
$file->seek(5000);                       // jump to line 5000 (zero-based)
echo $file->current(), PHP_EOL;          // output current line 

echo memory_get_usage(), PHP_EOL;        // 342984 vs 3319864 when using file()

For outputting the current line, you can either use current() or just echo $file. I find it clearer to use the method though. You can also use fgets(), but that would get the next line.

Of course, you only need the middle three lines. I’ve added the memory_get_usage calls just to prove this approach does eat almost no memory.

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