Example for tailing a file (like tail -f) using inotify.
<?php
/**
* Tail a file (UNIX only!)
* Watch a file for changes using inotify and return the changed data
*
* @param string $file - filename of the file to be watched
* @param integer $pos - actual position in the file
* @return string
*/
function tail($file,&$pos) {
// get the size of the file
if(!$pos) $pos = filesize($file);
// Open an inotify instance
$fd = inotify_init();
// Watch $file for changes.
$watch_descriptor = inotify_add_watch($fd, $file, IN_ALL_EVENTS);
// Loop forever (breaks are below)
while (true) {
// Read events (inotify_read is blocking!)
$events = inotify_read($fd);
// Loop though the events which occured
foreach ($events as $event=>$evdetails) {
// React on the event type
switch (true) {
// File was modified
case ($evdetails['mask'] & IN_MODIFY):
// Stop watching $file for changes
inotify_rm_watch($fd, $watch_descriptor);
// Close the inotify instance
fclose($fd);
// open the file
$fp = fopen($file,'r');
if (!$fp) return false;
// seek to the last EOF position
fseek($fp,$pos);
// read until EOF
while (!feof($fp)) {
$buf .= fread($fp,8192);
}
// save the new EOF to $pos
$pos = ftell($fp); // (remember: $pos is called by reference)
// close the file pointer
fclose($fp);
// return the new data and leave the function
return $buf;
// be a nice guy and program good code ;-)
break;
// File was moved or deleted
case ($evdetails['mask'] & IN_MOVE):
case ($evdetails['mask'] & IN_MOVE_SELF):
case ($evdetails['mask'] & IN_DELETE):
case ($evdetails['mask'] & IN_DELETE_SELF):
// Stop watching $file for changes
inotify_rm_watch($fd, $watch_descriptor);
// Close the inotify instance
fclose($fd);
// Return a failure
return false;
break;
}
}
}
}
// Use it like that:
$lastpos = 0;
while (true) {
echo tail($file,$lastpos);
}
?>