Using php, copy the whole contents of one directory to another.

Problem

I attempted to copy the directory’s full contents to another location using

copy ("old_location/*.*","new_location/");

However, it states it can’t find the stream since true *.* isn’t found.

Any other way

Thanks Dave

Asked by dave

Solution #1

For a single-level directory, this worked. I used this for a folder with multiple levels of directories:

function recurseCopy(
    string $sourceDirectory,
    string $destinationDirectory,
    string $childFolder = ''
): void {
    $directory = opendir($sourceDirectory);

    if (is_dir($destinationDirectory) === false) {
        mkdir($destinationDirectory);
    }

    if ($childFolder !== '') {
        if (is_dir("$destinationDirectory/$childFolder") === false) {
            mkdir("$destinationDirectory/$childFolder");
        }

        while (($file = readdir($directory)) !== false) {
            if ($file === '.' || $file === '..') {
                continue;
            }

            if (is_dir("$sourceDirectory/$file") === true) {
                recurseCopy("$sourceDirectory/$file", "$destinationDirectory/$childFolder/$file");
            } else {
                copy("$sourceDirectory/$file", "$destinationDirectory/$childFolder/$file");
            }
        }

        closedir($directory);

        return;
    }

    while (($file = readdir($directory)) !== false) {
        if ($file === '.' || $file === '..') {
            continue;
        }

        if (is_dir("$sourceDirectory/$file") === true) {
            recurseCopy("$sourceDirectory/$file", "$destinationDirectory/$file");
        }
        else {
            copy("$sourceDirectory/$file", "$destinationDirectory/$file");
        }
    }

    closedir($directory);
}

Answered by Felix Kling

Solution #2

As described here, this is another approach that takes care of symlinks too:

/**
 * Copy a file, or recursively copy a folder and its contents
 * @author      Aidan Lister <aidan@php.net>
 * @version     1.0.1
 * @link        http://aidanlister.com/2004/04/recursively-copying-directories-in-php/
 * @param       string   $source    Source path
 * @param       string   $dest      Destination path
 * @param       int      $permissions New folder creation permissions
 * @return      bool     Returns true on success, false on failure
 */
function xcopy($source, $dest, $permissions = 0755)
{
    $sourceHash = hashDirectory($source);
    // Check for symlinks
    if (is_link($source)) {
        return symlink(readlink($source), $dest);
    }

    // Simple copy for a file
    if (is_file($source)) {
        return copy($source, $dest);
    }

    // Make destination directory
    if (!is_dir($dest)) {
        mkdir($dest, $permissions);
    }

    // Loop through the folder
    $dir = dir($source);
    while (false !== $entry = $dir->read()) {
        // Skip pointers
        if ($entry == '.' || $entry == '..') {
            continue;
        }

        // Deep copy directories
        if($sourceHash != hashDirectory($source."/".$entry)){
             xcopy("$source/$entry", "$dest/$entry", $permissions);
        }
    }

    // Clean up
    $dir->close();
    return true;
}

// In case of coping a directory inside itself, there is a need to hash check the directory otherwise and infinite loop of coping is generated

function hashDirectory($directory){
    if (! is_dir($directory)){ return false; }

    $files = array();
    $dir = dir($directory);

    while (false !== ($file = $dir->read())){
        if ($file != '.' and $file != '..') {
            if (is_dir($directory . '/' . $file)) { $files[] = hashDirectory($directory . '/' . $file); }
            else { $files[] = md5_file($directory . '/' . $file); }
        }
    }

    $dir->close();

    return md5(implode('', $files));
}

Answered by itsjavi

Solution #3

copy() can only be used with files.

The copy and cp commands in DOS and Unix both copy recursively, thus the easiest approach is to shell out and use these. e.g.

`cp -r $src $dest`;

Otherwise, you’ll have to read the contents of the directory with opendir/readdir or scandir, iterate through the results, and recurse into each one if is dir returns true.

e.g.

function xcopy($src, $dest) {
    foreach (scandir($src) as $file) {
        if (!is_readable($src . '/' . $file)) continue;
        if (is_dir($src .'/' . $file) && ($file != '.') && ($file != '..') ) {
            mkdir($dest . '/' . $file);
            xcopy($src . '/' . $file, $dest . '/' . $file);
        } else {
            copy($src . '/' . $file, $dest . '/' . $file);
        }
    }
}

Answered by symcbean

Solution #4

The most effective solution is!

<?php
$src = "/home/www/domain-name.com/source/folders/123456";
$dest = "/home/www/domain-name.com/test/123456";

shell_exec("cp -r $src $dest");

echo "<H3>Copy Paste completed!</H3>"; //output when done
?>

Answered by black

Solution #5

function full_copy( $source, $target ) {
    if ( is_dir( $source ) ) {
        @mkdir( $target );
        $d = dir( $source );
        while ( FALSE !== ( $entry = $d->read() ) ) {
            if ( $entry == '.' || $entry == '..' ) {
                continue;
            }
            $Entry = $source . '/' . $entry; 
            if ( is_dir( $Entry ) ) {
                full_copy( $Entry, $target . '/' . $entry );
                continue;
            }
            copy( $Entry, $target . '/' . $entry );
        }

        $d->close();
    }else {
        copy( $source, $target );
    }
}

Answered by kzoty

Post is based on https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2050859/copy-entire-contents-of-a-directory-to-another-using-php