PHP ob_get_length() function (with example)

I am facing an issue related to the `ob_get_length()` function in PHP and I am looking for some assistance from the community.

I am currently working on a web development project where I am using output buffering in PHP. I have used the `ob_start()` function to start the output buffering and `ob_end_clean()` to discard the buffered content. However, I would like to retrieve the length of the buffered output before discarding it.

I have read about the `ob_get_length()` function which supposedly returns the length of the output buffer in bytes. But I'm a bit confused about how to use it correctly in my code.

Here is an example of what I have tried so far:

```php
ob_start();

// Some code that generates output

$buffer = ob_get_contents();
$length = ob_get_length();

ob_end_clean();
```

I expected `$length` to give me the length of the buffer in bytes, but it doesn't seem to be working as expected. I am not sure if I am missing something or using the function incorrectly.

Can anyone please guide me on how to correctly use the `ob_get_length()` function in PHP? Any examples or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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kulas.stephan

July 17 2023 at 03:01 PM

I understand your frustration with the `ob_get_length()` function. I faced a similar issue when I tried to use it in one of my PHP projects involving output buffering.

After some investigation, I found that the problem was related to how I was using the function in my code. It turns out that `ob_get_length()` requires the buffering to be active in order to retrieve the length accurately.

To make sure the buffering is active, you can use the `ob_start()` function with the `PHP_OUTPUT_HANDLER_REMOVABLE` flag. This flag allows you to remove the output buffer without discarding its content, which is necessary for obtaining the length correctly. Here's an example of how I did it:

php
ob_start(null, 0, PHP_OUTPUT_HANDLER_REMOVABLE);



// Some code that generates output



$buffer = ob_get_contents();

$length = ob_get_length();



ob_end_clean();

Using `ob_start(null, 0, PHP_OUTPUT_HANDLER_REMOVABLE)` ensures that the output buffer is active and can be removed later without losing its content. Then, you can retrieve the buffer's content using `ob_get_contents()` and the length using `ob_get_length()`.

I hope this approach helps you resolve the issue you're facing with `ob_get_length()`. Feel free to let me know if you have any further questions!

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verdie.marks

July 17 2023 at 09:58 AM

I have encountered a similar situation before while working on a project. The `ob_get_length()` function was not returning the expected result for me as well. After some research and troubleshooting, I found a possible solution that might help you.

Instead of directly using `ob_get_length()`, you can try using `strlen()` on the `$buffer` variable to get the length of the buffered output. In your example, you would modify the code as follows:

php
ob_start();



// Some code that generates output



$buffer = ob_get_contents();

$length = strlen($buffer);



ob_end_clean();

By using `strlen()` on the `$buffer` variable, you will get the exact length of the content in bytes, which should give you the desired result.

I hope this workaround helps you resolve your issue. Give it a try and let me know if it works for you too!

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joel.moen

July 06 2023 at 12:08 PM

I had a similar issue while working on a project involving output buffering in PHP. When I tried using `ob_get_length()`, it didn't provide the expected length of the buffer.

After spending some time debugging, I realized that the issue was caused by an intermediate output compression mechanism in my project configuration. This compression was modifying the actual length of the buffered content, giving incorrect results when using `ob_get_length()`.

To work around this, I discovered that by temporarily disabling the output compression, I could accurately retrieve the buffer length using `ob_get_length()`. Here's an example of how I achieved it:

php
ob_start();



// Disable output compression

ini_set('zlib.output_compression', 'Off');



// Some code that generates output



$length = ob_get_length();



// Re-enable output compression if needed

ini_set('zlib.output_compression', 'On');



ob_end_clean();

By disabling the output compression using `ini_set()`, the buffer length returned by `ob_get_length()` corresponded correctly to the actual content length in bytes.

I hope this insight based on my personal experience helps you troubleshoot and resolve your issue. Let me know if it works for you too!

Helpful (7)

PHP ob_get_length() function (with example)

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