Beginning PHP and MySQL: From Novice to Professional, Third Edition

CHAPTER 16Networking

You may have turned to this chapter wondering just what PHP could possibly have to offer in regard to networking. After all, aren't networking tasks largely relegated to languages commonly used for system administration, such as Perl or Python? While such a stereotype might have once painted a fairly accurate picture, these days, incorporating networking capabilities into a Web application is commonplace. In fact, Web-based applications are regularly used to monitor and even maintain network infrastructures. Furthermore, with the introduction of the command-line interface (CLI) in PHP version 4.2.0, PHP is now increasingly used for system administration among developers who wish to continue using their favorite language ...