Where file_get_contents() gave you the contents of a file as a string, this function will give you the same in an array. Each line of the file will be one element of the array (as a string) with the new line still at the end.

The following flags may be used as the second parameter.

FILE_USE_INCLUDE_PATH: Search for the file in the include directory.
FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES: The new line character will not appear at the end of each array element
FILE_SKIP_EMPTY_LINES: Empty lines in the file will not appear in the array
FILE_TEXT (since PHP 5.2.7): Data is read in text mode.
FILE_BINARY (since PHP 5.2.7): Data is read in binary mode.

The third parameter is for a stream context (see manual).

For this example, we’ll use the file created in our first file_put_contents() example.

All the laddies cat call and wolf whistle
So-called gentlemen and ladies
Dog fight like rose and thistle
$file = 'output.txt';
 
$data = file( $file );
/*
array (
  0 => 'All the laddies cat call and wolf whistle
',
  1 => 'So-called gentlemen and ladies
',
  2 => 'Dog fight like rose and thistle'
)
*/
 
$data = file( $file, FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES );
/*
array (
  0 => 'All the laddies cat call and wolf whistle',
  1 => 'So-called gentlemen and ladies',
  2 => 'Dog fight like rose and thistle'
)
*/
 
// now let's add some new lines with a blank line too
 
$new = "\nI've got a feeling
I'm gonna get a lot of grief
 
Once this seemed so appealing
Now I am beyond belief
";
file_put_contents( $file, $new, FILE_APPEND );
 
$data = file( $file );
/*
array (
  0 => 'All the laddies cat call and wolf whistle
',
  1 => 'So-called gentlemen and ladies
',
  2 => 'Dog fight like rose and thistle
',
  3 => 'I\'ve got a feeling
',
  4 => 'I\'m gonna get a lot of grief
',
  5 => '
',
  6 => 'Once this seemed so appealing
',
  7 => 'Now I am beyond belief
'
)
*/
 
$data = file( $file, FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES | FILE_SKIP_EMPTY_LINES );
/*
array (
  0 => 'All the laddies cat call and wolf whistle',
  1 => 'So-called gentlemen and ladies',
  2 => 'Dog fight like rose and thistle',
  3 => 'I\'ve got a feeling',
  4 => 'I\'m gonna get a lot of grief',
  5 => 'Once this seemed so appealing',
  6 => 'Now I am beyond belief'
)
*/
See the manual entry for file()