There are multiple ways to read a file in PHP but the method recommended by PHP.NET is to use the file_get_contents function. It will return the file as a string and then allow you to play around with it. You could use this for a local text file on your machine or even an external HTML page. For more information, check out the website: http://howtostartprogramming.com/PHP/php-tutorial-24-reading-a-file/