[php] check if file exists in php

if (!(file_exists(http://mysite.com/images/thumbnail_1286954822.jpg))) {   
$filefound = '0';                         
}

why won't this work?

Based on your comment to Haim, is this a file on your own server? If so, you need to use the file system path, not url (e.g. file_exists( '/path/to/images/thumbnail.jpg' )).

for me also the file_exists() function is not working properly. So I got this alternative solution. Hope this one help someone

$path = 'http://localhost/admin/public/upload/video_thumbnail/thumbnail_1564385519_0.png';

    if (@GetImageSize($path)) {
        echo 'File exits';
    } else {
        echo "File doesn't exits";
    }

file_exists checks whether a file exist in the specified path or not.

Syntax:

file_exists ( string $filename )

Returns TRUE if the file or directory specified by filename exists; FALSE otherwise.

$filename = BASE_DIR."images/a/test.jpg";
if (file_exists($filename)){
    echo "File exist.";
}else{
    echo "File does not exist.";
}

Another alternative method you can use getimagesize(), it will return 0(zero) if file/directory is not available in the specified path.

if (@getimagesize($filename)) {...}

You can also use PHP get_headers() function.

Example:

function check_file_exists_here($url){
   $result=get_headers($url);
   return stripos($result[0],"200 OK")?true:false; //check if $result[0] has 200 OK
}

if(check_file_exists_here("http://www.mywebsite.com/file.pdf"))
   echo "This file exists";
else
   echo "This file does not exist";

1. The function expects a string.

2. file_exists() does not work properly with HTTP URLs.