I have a PHP code which includes several files if they exists. It might be 150 files to include.
Is it slow to use file_exists in this case? Should I build an array to create a cache of the file structure instead?
Is there other ways to make some kind of cache of the file structure?
150 files during serving single request?
If so, you have to reduce this number, not because of 150 file_exists but because of 150 includes.
If it depends on the requested parameters and being 3-4 per request, it's OK.
You cannot use a regular array as a cache though. PHP doesn't preserve variables between requests. Instead of inventing such cache you have tho rethink your application structure.