# Containers

## Create container

To create a new container, you just need to define its name:

    $container = $service->createContainer('my_amazing_container');

If the response returned is `FALSE`, there was an API error - most likely due to the fact you have a naming collision.

Container names must be valid strings between 0 and 256 characters. Forward slashes are not currently permitted.

Note

When working with names that contain non-standard alphanumerical characters (such as spaces or non-English characters), you must ensure they are encoded with urlencode before passing them in

Get the executable PHP script for this example

## List containers

    $containers = $service->listContainers();

    foreach ($containers as $container) {
        /** @param $container OpenCloud\ObjectStore\Resource\Container */
        printf("Container name: %s\n", $container->name);
        printf("Number of objects within container: %d\n", $container->getObjectCount());
    }

Container names are sorted based on a binary comparison, a single built-in collating sequence that compares string data using SQLite’s memcmp() function, regardless of text encoding.

The list is limited to 10,000 containers at a time. To work with larger collections, please read the next section.

Get the executable PHP script for this example

### Filtering large collections

When you need more control over collections of containers, you can filter the results and return back a subset of the total collection by using the `marker` and `end_marker` parameters. The former parameter (`marker`) tells the API where to begin the list, and the latter (`end_marker`) tells it where to end the list. You may use either of them independently or together.

You may also use the `limit` parameter to fix the number of containers returned.

To list a set of containers between two fixed points:

    $someContainers = $service->listContainers(array(
        'marker'     => 'container_55',
        'end_marker' => 'container_2001'
    ));

Or to return a limited set:

    $someContainers = $service->listContainers(array('limit' => 560));

## Get container

To retrieve a certain container:

    /** @param $container OpenCloud\ObjectStore\Resource\Container */
    $container = $service->getContainer('{containerName}');

Get the executable PHP script for this example

### Retrieve a container’s name

    $name = $container->name;

### Retrieve a container’s object count

    $count = $container->getObjectCount();

Get the executable PHP script for this example

### Retrieve a container’s total bytes used

    $bytes = $container->getBytesUsed();

Get the executable PHP script for this example

## Delete container

Deleting an empty container is easy:

    $container->delete();

Please bear mind that you must delete all objects inside a container before deleting it. This is done for you if you set the `$deleteObjects` parameter to `TRUE` like so:

    $container->delete(true);

You can also delete all objects first, and then call `delete`.

Get the executable PHP script for this example

## Deleting all objects inside a container

    $container->deleteAllObjects();

Get the executable PHP script for this example

## Create or update container metadata

    $container->saveMetadata(array(
        'Author' => 'Virginia Woolf',
        'Published' => '1931'
    ));

Please bear in mind that this action will set metadata to this array - overriding existing values and wiping those left out. To append values to the current metadata:

    $metadata = $container->appendToMetadata(array(
        'Publisher' => 'Hogarth'
    ));

Get the executable PHP script for this example

## Container quotas

The `container_quotas` middleware implements simple quotas that can be imposed on Cloud Files containers by a user. Setting container quotas can be useful for limiting the scope of containers that are delegated to non-admin users, exposed to formpost uploads, or just as a self-imposed sanity check.

To set quotas for a container:

    use OpenCloud\Common\Constants\Size;

    $container->setCountQuota(1000);
    $container->setBytesQuota(2.5 * Size::GB);

And to retrieve them:

    echo $container->getCountQuota();
    echo $container->getBytesQuota();

Get the executable PHP scripts for this example:

- Set bytes quota
- Set count quota

## Access log delivery

To view your object access, turn on Access Log Delivery. You can use access logs to analyze the number of people who access your objects, where they come from, how many requests for each object you receive, and time-based usage patterns (such as monthly or seasonal usage).

    $container->enableLogging();
    $container->disableLogging();

## Syncing containers

You can synchronize local directories with your CloudFiles/Swift containers very easily. When you do this, the container will mirror exactly the nested file structure within your local directory:

    $container->uploadDirectory('/home/user/my-blog');

There are four scenarios you should be aware of:

Local | Remote | Comparison | Action
--- | --- | --- | ---
File exists | File exists | Identical checksum | No action
File exists | File exists | Different checksum | Local file overwrites remote
File exists | File does not exist |  | Local file created in Swift
Files does not exist | File exists |  | Remote file deleted