PHP - One file or multiple (using require) - difference

Question

I have one big PHP code divided into multiple files, each one is loaded with require (exactly one time for each).

I'm curious if it's faster to have one big .php file with the whole code or different parts in different files (each part is always used).

Let's say one thousand people are refreshing the page, how much does the number of files (the code is divided in) change the speed? Which way is faster and why (what does it depend on)?

Thanks for any advice.

Why not try both methods and benchmark them to see? – Anigel Feb 19 '15 at 14:49 — Anigel, Feb 19 '15 at 14:49

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 19 '15 at 14:50

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It terms of processing it really doesn't make a difference, requiring is like copy/pasting the file into the file your requiring it from.

It also keeps your code more organised.

EDIT:

since the require function uses include path it will be slightly slower, but not noticeably even with 100000000's of viewers refreshing.

answered Feb 19 '15 at 14:50

Robert Pounder

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What about the time needed to find/load the file from the hard disk? Wouldn't that be a problem? – GerryMat Feb 19 '15 at 14:54
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_uses include path_ <-- finding, as for loading, it'd be loading the same data if it was in the same file :) – Robert Pounder Feb 19 '15 at 14:57
I mean - the other files could be stored on totally different places in the hard disk, couldn't they? It consumes time to "move" there. But OS should remember the files somehow, right? When they are used over and over again. – GerryMat Feb 19 '15 at 15:04
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Location shouldn't matter as they are in your webservers cache – Robert Pounder Feb 19 '15 at 15:07
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If you are happy with the answer or need more verification let me know ;) – Robert Pounder Feb 27 '15 at 09:45

PHP - One file or multiple (using require) - difference

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