ftp_raw() function in PHP

The ftp_raw() function sends raw commands directly to the FTP server and returns the server's response. This gives you low-level control over FTP operations by allowing you to send any valid FTP protocol command.

Syntax

ftp_raw(connection, command)

Parameters

• connection − The FTP connection resource created by ftp_connect()

• command − The raw FTP command to execute (without trailing CRLF)

Return Value

The ftp_raw() function returns the server's response as an array of strings, where each element represents a line of the server's response.

Example

The following example demonstrates sending raw FTP commands ?

<?php
    $ftp_server = "192.168.0.4";
    $con = ftp_connect($ftp_server) or die("Could not connect to $ftp_server");
    
    // Send raw authentication commands
    $response1 = ftp_raw($con, "USER david");
    $response2 = ftp_raw($con, "PASS yourpassword");
    
    // Display server responses
    print_r($response1);
    print_r($response2);
    
    // Get current working directory using raw command
    $pwd_response = ftp_raw($con, "PWD");
    print_r($pwd_response);
    
    // Close connection
    ftp_close($con);
?>

Array
(
    [0] => 331 Password required for david.
)
Array
(
    [0] => 230 User david logged in.
)
Array
(
    [0] => 257 "/" is current directory.
)

Common Use Cases

Use ftp_raw() when you need to send FTP commands not directly supported by PHP's built-in FTP functions, such as SITE commands, STAT, or custom server-specific commands.

Conclusion

The ftp_raw() function provides direct access to FTP protocol commands and returns server responses as arrays. It's useful for advanced FTP operations not covered by standard PHP FTP functions.