ob_get_flush

(PHP 4 >= 4.3.0, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8)

ob_get_flush Flush (send) the return value of the active output handler, return the contents of the active output buffer and turn it off

Description

ob_get_flush(): string|false

This function calls the output handler (with the PHP_OUTPUT_HANDLER_FINAL flag), flushes (sends) it's return value, returns the contents of the active output buffer and turns off the active output buffer.

ob_get_flush() will fail without an active output buffer started with the PHP_OUTPUT_HANDLER_REMOVABLE flag.

ob_get_flush() will flush (send) the return value of the output handler even if the active output buffer was started without the PHP_OUTPUT_HANDLER_FLUSHABLE flag.

Parameters

This function has no parameters.

Return Values

Returns the contents of the active output buffer on success or false on failure.

Errors/Exceptions

If the function fails it generates an E_NOTICE.

Examples

Example #1 ob_get_flush() example

<?php
//using output_buffering=On
print_r(ob_list_handlers());

//save buffer in a file
$buffer = ob_get_flush();
file_put_contents('buffer.txt', $buffer);

print_r(ob_list_handlers());
?>

The above example will output:

Array
(
    [0] => default output handler
)
Array
(
)

See Also

  • ob_start() - Turn on output buffering
  • ob_get_contents() - Return the contents of the output buffer
  • ob_flush() - Flush (send) the return value of the active output handler
  • ob_end_flush() - Flush (send) the return value of the active output handler and turn the active output buffer off
  • ob_get_clean() - Get the contents of the active output buffer and turn it off

add a note

User Contributed Notes 3 notes

up
34
info at pcdoctor dot fr
16 years ago
Hi,
this is just to add a behavior that I haven't understud at first place.

ob_get_flush actually returns the content of the buffer as a text but also it sends the buffer back to the browser so that it's displayed on user screen.

Use ob_get_clean if you do not want the buffer to be send to the user
up
-3
taras dot dot dot di at gmail dot com
16 years ago
I don't know how exactly this works, but if you call this function, PHP would behave as if headers have been sent (even though the output has gone to a string).

This means that you can't call this function, and then call setcookie for example.

This was verified by trial and error
up
-5
zubin@byron
19 years ago
Correction to previous post: ob_get_clean() is better, ie:

<?php
// start generating html
$html = '<html><head>'; // etc
// start output buffering
ob_start();
// call function which outputs immediately
print_menu();
// append this to $html and empty buffer
$html .= ob_get_clean();
?>
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