"Different" uses of PHP ...

[dalecosp]

I happen to have the script readily available from years ago, and it works!

Some things just feel like home, right?

For me that'd usually be something like "echo foo | caesar 13" in the shell.

However, several of my servers these days don't have the FreeBSD games installed ... so I guess I need to learn PHP or Python's syntax.

[sneakyimp]

Ooh...I almost forgot: several years ago I found a PHP module that allowed communication with the serial port (Windows only, I think). I put together a localhost page on my laptop that allowed me to control my A/V receiver through it's serial port. It was a geeky kludge that got me by for awhile after the receiver's remote control died, until I found a compatible replacement.

OK in a fit of insomnia last night I thought of this and couldn't help thinking how nuts it is. Do you have a link to the module? Does it use a socket or something? Hardware interface is something I'm really curious about.

[NogDog]

Nope, no idea which one I used. First couple things I see on the web now that look like possibilities: http://www.easyvitools.com/phpserial/index.html and http://www.phpclasses.org/package/36...rial-port.html

[Weedpacket]

One of my ongoing projects involves automated theorem proving. I wrote a utility to convert to and from file formats common in the field, and over time it's picked up some basic handling of boolean algebra in its own right (unit resolution, conversion to 3CNF, etc.) as part of its transformational repertoire.

I don't think I'd stoop to writing a line like this in any professional capacity:

    $file = array_values(
        array_filter(
            array_map(
                'trim',
                preg_split(
                    '/\b0\b/',
                    join(
                        ' ',
                        array_map(
                            'collapse_spaces',
                            array_map(
                                'trim',
                                preg_grep(
                                    '/^\s*-?\d+(\s+-?\d+)*\s*$/',
                                    preg_grep(
                                        '/^[cp]/',
                                        file($filename),
                                        PREG_GREP_INVERT))))),
                    -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY)),
            'strlen')); 

[sneakyimp]

Weedpacket, I would not be surprised if you proved Gödel wrong somehow.

[Bonesnap]

I have used it to clean up text files/logs, sort things, etc. I find it very useful to manipulate string data and arrays.

I am also considering using it to control my media server where I can search for movies or TV shows and launch via VLC (my media server is also my web server), but I am currently way too busy to even attempt this and currently will just continue with the .NET application I wrote ages ago.