Create ZIP file archive with PHP

Simple PHP function that can be used to create ZIP file archive with PHP. The function receives two parameters: an array with the path-name of the files to add in archive, and a string with the path-name of the Zip file that will be created.

- Important: If you work on Linux system, PHP must have CHMOD write permisions in the directory in which the ZIP file /archive will be created.

<?php
// function to create ZIP archive. Returns TRUE on success, otherwise, False
// receives 2 arguments: an array with the path-name of the files to add in archive,
// and the path-name of the Zip file that will be created
function createZip($files, $zip_file) {
  // PHP-MySQL Course - http://coursesweb.net/php-mysql/
  // create an object of the ZipArchive class
  $zip = new ZipArchive;

  // if the $zip_file can be created, traverse the array $files and add each file in archive
  if($zip->open($zip_file, ZipArchive::CREATE) === TRUE) {
    foreach($files as $file){
      $zip->addFile($file);
    }
    $zip->close();
    return true;
  }
  else return false;
}

  /* Example */

// Array with the path-name of the files to be added in ZIP archive
$files = array('file1.txt', 'image.jpg', 'audio.mp3');

// the path-name of your final zip file on your server
$zip_file = 'final.zip';

// calls the createZip() to create the ZIP archive, returns message of success or failure
if(createZip($files, $zip_file)) echo 'The '. $zip_file. ' successfully created';
else echo 'Unable to create the '. $zip_file. ' file';
?>

If the $zip_file already exists on server, the files will be added in the in that archive, keeping also the existing files in ZIP.
- To overwrite the ZIP archive, replace CREATE with OVERWRITE .

• If you want the ZIP archive to be downloaded after it was created, use this code:

// here the code that adds the files in ZIP archive

header('Content-type: application/zip');
header('Content-disposition: filename="'. $zip_file. '"');
header('Content-length:'. filesize($zip_file));
readfile($zip_file);
exit(); 

?>