Running script even if user navigates away from page

[bunner_bob]

On one of the sites I manage, when the administrator logs in it triggers a bunch of automated processes that check order status, send reminder emails and so on. This can take a while - 30 seconds or more - and currently it interrupts the login process, while the user waits for the processes to complete.

if (isset($_POST['submit']) && isset($_POST['login']))
{
	require_once(ADMIN_INCLUDE_PATH . 'classes/adminLogin.class.php');
	$login = new adminLogin;
	if($login->tryLogin())
	{

// Flush old CartItems

	require_once(ADMIN_INCLUDE_PATH . 'classes/flushOldCartItems.class.php');
	$flusher = new flushOldCartItems;
	$flusher->flush();


// Send auto reminder emails to Vendors

	require_once(ADMIN_INCLUDE_PATH . 'classes/emailBatchVendorRemind.class.php');
	$batch = new emailBatchVendorRemind;
	$batch->doBatchEmail();


// Send membership renewal reminders to Customers

	require_once(ADMIN_INCLUDE_PATH . 'classes/emailBatchMemberReminders.class.php');
	$batch = new emailBatchMemberReminders();
	$batch->sendBatchReminders();


// Send class reminder to any live class enrollees

	require_once(ADMIN_INCLUDE_PATH . 'classes/emailBatchLiveClassReminders.class.php');
	$batch = new emailBatchLiveClassReminders();
	$batch->sendBatchReminders();


// Send registration reminder to any un-registered webcast enrollees

	require_once(ADMIN_INCLUDE_PATH . 'classes/emailBatchWebReminders.class.php');
	$batch = new emailBatchWebReminders();
	$batch->sendBatchReminders();
}
}

// and then we display "logged in" screen & navigation

I was thinking it would be nice if instead the processes could just be "triggered" by the login process, rather than happening "in line", and continue running even if the user then navigates to another page in the admin.

Is there a way to trigger another script that can do all this in the background, so to speak? As if it were being loaded in another window and left to run, but without opening another window.

Does this make sense?

• Bob

[NogDog]

You could use one of the [man]exec[/man] functions to launch something as a background process (how to make it a background process depends on the OS).

Alternatively, you could look at [man]ignore_user_abort/man.

[bunner_bob]

I started playing with this, having a little trouble.

I made a test script that writes to a file. If I run the script directly it works fine. So I tried calling it from another file:

exec('/Library/WebServer/Documents/micro/admin/test.php');

(I'm on a Mac - OS X 10.5.x)

No luck. I tried slimming the call down:

exec('test.php');

Also no luck.

Probably something obvious I'm missing - any idea what?

• Bob

[bunner_bob]

I found this at http://us.php.net/ignore_user_abort:

function http_spawn($page)
{
	$basepath=ereg_replace('[^/]*$', '', $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']);
	$cbSock=fsockopen('localhost', $_SERVER['SERVER_PORT'], $errno, $errstr, 5);
	if ($cbSock)
	{
		fwrite($cbSock, "GET {$basepath}{$page} HTTP/1.0\r\n"
			."Host: {$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']}\r\n\r\n");
	}
}

I added

ignore_user_abort();
set_time_limit(0);

in the page I passed to it, and it seems to be working.

[bunner_bob]

Buuuuut - it isn't working. When I call the spawned page directly it runs, so I know it's working, but the function above doesn't seem to be doing it.

I tried echoing $basepath ( which is '/admin/') and $page (which is 'auto-notify.php'). The actual file is located at http://www.domain.com/admin/auto-notify.php. So the path seems right - doesn't it?

What should I try to find out more about why this isn't working?

• Bob

[bunner_bob]

Anybody?

[ycubed]

Did you try "Ignore user abort"?

[bunner_bob]

Yes - the first two lines in the script being spawned are:

ignore_user_abort();
set_time_limit(0);

That's right - right?