How To Update Browser Mid Script?

[mac57]

I am working on a script that processes a LARGE file of data. Executing the script on the entire file can take several minutes. I would like to be able to provide the user with a running update on their browser display, updated every 20 seconds or so, until the script completes, so they know that SOMETHING is going on.

Is there any way to get PHP to do this without resorting to forcing the script to recall itself in order to redraw the whole screen?

I have tried the ob_start and flush() calls, but they didn't achieve any observable result. Is there any generally accepted way of updating the browser screen during a PHP script execution? Thanks!

[dagon]

i would never run a script that took several minutes in the foreground, user don't like sitting there, how about putting it in to the background and notifying them when its done.

[mac57]

Interesting idea dagon... how do I put a script into the background, and equally, how do I know when it is done? Is there a way for background scripts to communicate with foreground scripts?

[dagon]

exec() et al

to know when its done, send email or update db and have forground pages check that onload so they can update the user (amuses there's some user tracking going on). I have used both, I prefer sending an email if its going to be hours

[mac57]

Thanks Dagon!