PHP timer?

[Morphose]

I am just now learning PHP and I was wondering if PHP has a type of timer function, or if it would have to be done with something like Javascript. I want to be able to run a script at a predetermined time every day, maybe 2-3 times a day. Would PHP be capable of this or would Perl, or something else be necessary to facilitate this desire?

[xtothez]

google crontab

[W]

Launching of timed scripts is a task for the operating system or it's utilities, not the scripting language itself. A cgi scipt does not run when it's not generating output for a browser.

[Rayden]

crontab isn't php he would need to exec() it.

you could use date() since it can fetch you any time variable you want.. and you could check it against what you'd want..

[SYMM]

That would require the script to be running constantly, and then perform the desired action at the time....listen to W

[pablissimo]

Originally Posted by Rayden

crontab isn't php he would need to exec() it.

you could use date() since it can fetch you any time variable you want.. and you could check it against what you'd want..

He means 'set up a cron job to run the script at the required interval' via whatever access to a shell he has.

[Morphose]

Thanks guys I really appreciate it. The purpose of this is so that when I make my website, which I am only working on from home home right now (no website available as of yet), I want it to update every hour of every day. Mostly for statistics, news and a few other things. One of the things I want to do is create a small game, nothing elaborate, just to occupy time, that updates on an hourly basis how many people play, what their scores are and such.

Thanks alot guys for the help.

[pablissimo]

If you don't have any shell access or your hosts won't set you up with a crontab, www.7host.com will call a web-address at a period you specify for a small fee, it might be another option to consider.

[Add]

PHP Code:

<?php
set_time_limit(60*60*24*7); //run for 1 week (or as long as the system is online.. whichever comes first)
ignore_user_abort(); //you can close the browser and it will(should) still run

$interval = 60*60; //1 hour
$start = time();
while (TRUE) {
  $now = $time();
  if (($now - $start) >= $interval) {
     //execute your shit
    $start = time();
  }
}
?>

it can be done but please don't do it it's horrible.

p.s the above may or may not work i havn't written php for months

p.p.s a c style language looks so nice after writing in ada for the past few months

[Gayle29uk]

Originally Posted by Add

PHP Code:

<?php
set_time_limit(60*60*24*7); //run for 1 week (or as long as the system is online.. whichever comes first)

$interval = 60*60; //1 hour
$start = time();
while (TRUE) {
  $now = $time();
  if (($now - $start) >= $interval) {
     //execute your shit
    $start = time();
  }
}
?>

it can be done but please don't do it it's horrible.

p.s the above may or may not work i havn't written php for months

using sleep(($now-$start)+$interval) would help on system resources

[Add]

Originally Posted by Gayle29uk

using sleep(($now-$start)+$interval) would help on system resources

set_time_limit ignores sleep (afaik)

[Morphose]

I'm just learning PHP, guys so bare with me. I would think that the crontab would work better, because it seems you don't have to activate it. As for the script you are talking about Add and Gayle29uk, wouldn't you have to at some point run the script from something that will start the script for it to work. I know you have to manually start a script or have a webpage start the script when it is hit. In PHP that is. It doesn't just run all the time..... or am I mistaken?

Sorry, if that is confusing, I woke up out of a dead sleep and wrote this....

[Add]

yes, you would run the script to start it, then close your browser and it should keep on running, there is no way to stop it though bar leaving it a week or turning off the server

[Structural Integrity]

Err, but what about the script timeout? Apache, by default, kills any script that takes longer than 30 seconds. So again, you need access to the server settings.

[meglamaniac]

Basicly, just go with the crontab option.
Any decent non-free host will be happy to help you out by setting up the cron job for you if you don't have shell access (it's unlikely you will on a webhosting account) if you explain what you want clearly and it's not going to use all the system resources.
7host has allready been mentioned, Impulsed (who I use) is also one to look at. An advantage of impulsed is you can talk to the directly on Netgamers IRC if you have any problems or requests.

[Morphose]

Only problem is that rigt now, my funds are rather deflated..... errr.....rather nonexistant to be more precise. I can't afford anything other than free, but I will keep those webhosts in mind when I get some income. Thanks for your help.

[Structural Integrity]

Set up a timer on your own PC with the windows task manager. Then you let that one call your update page. Disadvantage would be that if you return in the morning you have a load of browser windows open.

Otherwise you could have a META-Refresh (in HTML) on your page that refreshes every x seconds as long as you keep the page open.

However, both methods require you to keep your comp on.

[meglamaniac]

Nice bit of thinking "outside the box" there SI.
That's probably the best solution while a free host is involved.

[Add]

Originally Posted by Structural Integrity

Err, but what about the script timeout? Apache, by default, kills any script that takes longer than 30 seconds. So again, you need access to the server settings.

not when set_time_limit is used, as far as i know.

[pablissimo]

Doesn't work on safe-mode though, which a lot if not most free hosts will be applying.

[Add]

does it really matter i said it was possible in theory, not that it was good practice.

[pablissimo]

Oi.

Yes it matters because it's further clarification of what Struct asked so if anyone asks it in the future 'they'll know'.

Relax.

[Gayle29uk]

Originally Posted by Add

set_time_limit ignores sleep (afaik)

In terms of counting processor time used yes, but using sleep() will reduce the processor overhead by stopping it looping constantly

[Morphose]

Yes, I agree that some of these suggestions are also very good, but there is another problem which, I'm sorry to say about Structural Integrity's suggestion, I forgot to mention. I am still on dial-up. I have no kind of broadband access either. Short of asking my friend at my ISP's company to set me up a website, I am most likely going to have to use the crontab suggestion and see if some of the webhosts out there provide crontab services. That seems to me like the most effecient and effective way to go about it. Later when I am able to get a Website of my own, I'm sure it will be good to do many of the things I've thought about doing, but right now, since my funds are limited and I am using free hosts to learn and bug-hunt my scripts I am in sad shape.

[Structural Integrity]

Hey, do these free hosts also have the PHP socket functionality enabled?

If so you can pretend to be a browser client from a HTTP script by connecting to localhost and doing a GET request. You let the HTTP script call itself over and over again and check against the time as Add suggested, and if your tick time passed you call the update page.

So:

HTTP-Script -> HTTP-Script -> HTTP-Script -> ad infinitum
     |               |               |
check time      check time      check time

Ofcourse, this is far from gracefull, but you'll fool the server big time, and might even piss off some serveradmins if they find out (though I'd merely pull an odd face if I saw something like that), but in theory this would work

[Morphose]

Thanks, but I have no idea. Like I said, I'm just learning PHP, have zero PERL knowledge (although I just installed it last night so I can learn), and some very decent grasp of HTML. I can make a decent webpage, but when it comes to all this other jazz, I have to go lookup what everyone is suggesting.... hehehe

But I appreciate all the help you guys have been giving me!

[pablissimo]

I don't think most free hosts allow sockets, my paid one doesn't.

Shame really, I could have done with my own CGI IRC portal last year.

[SystemShock]

Another way would be to get someone else (with shell enabled host) to call your script through lynx.

SI, most of them don't, I think.

[Gayle29uk]

Originally Posted by pablissimo

I don't think most free hosts allow sockets, my paid one doesn't.

Shame really, I could have done with my own CGI IRC portal last year.

There's a lot of paid hosts that allow socket access, just not RAW socket access