Dont want to wait for system calls

[Anon]

Hello,

I want to write a program that performs various system commands.

The problem is that each system call may take quite a long time and I would like them to run concurrently.

<?php
$array[] = exec('this');
$array[] = exec('that);
$array[] = exec('the other);

//after all is done
foreach ($array as $val) {
print $val ."<br>\n";
}
?>

In the manual, I have read the following but I'm not sure how to implement this...any suggestions:

From the manual:
--snip--
"Note also that if you start a program using this function and want to leave it running in the background, you have to make sure that the output of that program is redirected to a file or some other output stream or else PHP will hang until the execution of the program ends."
--snip--

Chuckc

[Anon]

To redirect output from a system command, you can use the > operator.

In UNIX:

commandname 1> /path/to/file 2>&1

This will redirect both errors and output to file.

Or, the program you run may have a switch to redirect output to a file. such as:

commandname -o /path/to/file

In Windows, I believe you can just use:

'commandname > \path\to\file'

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Anon]

I have something like

<?php
system("ping [badiphere] > /worldwrite/temp1");
?>

If I understand correctly, it should not wait for the ping to end , but (at least in my scripts, with php version 4.0.5. ) the script sits there, waiting for the ping (I can tell, because if i change it to ping -c 1, it only waits for about 7 seconds before finishing). Is there something I have to enable or disable?

[maxholman]

If you are running UNIX, try

system('ping localhost > /path/to/file &');

[Anon]

It works! I didn't even think of something like that! Awsome awsome, thanks for your help.