PHP add new line using the fwrite() function

When you need to add a new line (or line break), you need to use the PHP_EOL constant.

The reason to use PHP_EOL instead of \n or \r\n is that PHP_EOL will write the escape sequence that fits the operating system where you run PHP.

Windows OS uses \r\n while UNIX uses \n for its new line escape sequence.

PHP_EOL automatically writes the escape sequence that fits the operating system.

The example below shows how to add new line at the end of the fwrite() process:

<?php
// 👇 open file named test.txt
$file = fopen("test.txt", "w");

// 👇 add PHP_EOL as argument
fwrite($file, "Hello World!" . PHP_EOL);

// 👇 separate PHP_EOL for clarity
fwrite($file, "This text is written using PHP");
fwrite($file, PHP_EOL);
fwrite($file, "End of file");

// 👇 close file
fclose($file);
?>

The output in test.txt will be:

Hello World!
This text is written using PHP
End of file

Using PHP_EOL allows PHP to determine the right escape sequence to use depending on your operating system.

This constant helps you add a new line when writing to a file using the fwrite() function.