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PHP chgrp() Function: Usage and Examples

Learn how PHP chgrp works with practical examples, important behavior, relevant alternatives and common mistakes.

1 views Published Oct 16, 2026 Updated Oct 16, 2026

Changes a filesystem entry’s owning group where permitted.

What Is chgrp() in PHP?

Changes a filesystem entry’s owning group where permitted.

Its syntax is:

chgrp(string $filename, string|int $group): bool

Parameters:

  • $filename — Accepted as string; required argument.
  • $group — Accepted as string|int; required argument.

Return type: bool. Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.

Availability: Requires a supported OS and sufficient privileges.

Example 1: Basic Usage

<?php

var_dump(chgrp("/tmp/example.txt", "www-data"));

Result: Results and availability depend on the current PHP process, system permissions, cache, filesystem or installed locale. Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.

Example 2: A Different Input

<?php

var_dump(chgrp("/tmp/example.txt", 1000));

Result: Results and availability depend on the current PHP process, system permissions, cache, filesystem or installed locale. Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.

Practical Example: Applying It in a Program

<?php

$filePath = "/tmp/example.txt"; $desiredGroup = "www-data"; if (is_file($filePath) && chgrp($filePath, $desiredGroup)) { echo "Group updated"; }

Result: Results and availability depend on the current PHP process, system permissions, cache, filesystem or installed locale. Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.

Important Behavior and Edge Cases

  • Key behavior: Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.
  • Environment: Requires a supported OS and sufficient privileges.

Comparison With Related Functions

FunctionPurpose
chgrp()Changes a filesystem entry’s owning group where permitted.
chown()chgrp() changes file group ownership; chown() changes user ownership.

Common Beginner Mistakes

MistakeCorrect Approach
Ignoring this behavior: Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hostsRequires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.

Key Takeaways

  • Changes a filesystem entry’s owning group where permitted.
  • Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.
  • Requires a supported OS and sufficient privileges.

Summary: Requires operating-system permissions; group names differ among hosts. Never execute these examples against important files without review.

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