PHP Advanced and Object-Oriented Programming: Visual Quickpro Guide, Third Edition

12. PHP’s Command-Line Interface

In This Chapter

Testing Your Installation

Executing Bits of Code

Interactive PHP CLI

Creating a Command-Line Script

Running a Command-Line Script

Working with Command-Line Arguments

Taking Input

Built-In Server

Review and Pursue

PHP is known and loved as one of the best technologies for generating dynamic Web sites. But through the PHP command-line interface (CLI), you can also perform shell scripting (command-line programming) using your favorite language, PHP.

PHP CLI lets you run PHP scripts and even snippets of PHP code outside of a Web browser. On Windows, the action takes place within a DOS prompt (aka a console or command window). On Unix and Mac OS X, you’ll use the Terminal (or a similar program). In ...