Here is an updated version of preg_find() [which has been linked from the glob() man page for years] - this function should provide most of what you want back from reading files, directories, different sorting methods, recursion, and perhaps most powerful of all the ability to pattern match with a PCRE regex.
You can get preg_find here: http://www.pgregg.com/projects/php/preg_find/preg_find.php.txt
or if you prefer colourful .phps format: http://www.pgregg.com/projects/php/preg_find/preg_find.phps
or scoll down to the end of this note.
I wrote several examples on how to use it on my blog at: http://www.pgregg.com/forums/viewtopic.php?tid=73
simple glob() type replacement:
$files = preg_find('/./', $dir);
recursive?
$files = preg_find('/./', $dir, PREG_FIND_RECURSIVE);
pattern match? find all .php files:
$files = preg_find('/\.php$/D', $dir, PREG_FIND_RECURSIVE);
sorted alphabetically?
$files = preg_find('/\.php$/D', $dir, PREG_FIND_RECURSIVE|PREG_FIND_SORTKEYS);
sorted in by filesize, in descending order?
$files = preg_find('/./', $dir,
PREG_FIND_RECURSIVE|PREG_FIND_RETURNASSOC |PREG_FIND_SORTFILESIZE|PREG_FIND_SORTDESC);
$files=array_keys($files);
sorted by date modified?
$files = preg_find('/./', $dir,
PREG_FIND_RECURSIVE|PREG_FIND_RETURNASSOC |PREG_FIND_SORTMODIFIED);
$files=array_keys($files);
Ok, the PHP note says my note is too long, so please click on one of the above links to get it.