Self running php script?

Question

Situation:
My php/html page retrieves the contents of another page on a different domain every 5-10 minutes or so. I use a JavaScript setInterval() and a jquery .load() to request content from the other domain into an element on my page. Each time it retrieves content, javascript compares new content with the previous content and then I make an Ajax call to a php script that sends me an email of what the changes are.

Problem:
It's all working fine and dandy except for the fact that I need a browser constantly open, requesting the updates.

Question:
Is there a way to accomplish this with some sort of 'self executing' script on the server? Something that I would only have to start once, and it continues to run on it's own without needing a browser to be open as long as I want the script to run?

Thanks in advance! P.S. I'm not a php/javascript expert by any means, but I can get my way around.

If you have root access to your host (server or VPS) or cron permissions, you can use a cron job to run this every X minutes. — Glitch Desire
– Glitch Desire, Commented May 7, 2013 at 16:32
just use cron jobs on your server.. see this ~> nbill.co.uk/documentation/setting-up-a-cronjob.html — reikyoushin
– reikyoushin, Commented May 7, 2013 at 16:32
You can set a cron job to start your PHP script on the server. — TCB13
– TCB13, Commented May 7, 2013 at 16:32
php can be executed on the server quite easily via cron. Javascript cannot. — Marc B
– Marc B, Commented May 7, 2013 at 16:33
Thank you, cron job was the answer. I didn't know about these until now :) — ksb86
– ksb86, Commented Sep 6, 2014 at 4:34

bozdoz · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-07 16:32:48Z

1

I believe the thing you are looking for is a cron job.

answered May 7, 2013 at 16:32

bozdoz

12.9k8 gold badges74 silver badges100 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

George Cummins Over a year ago

"javascript compares new content with the previous content and then I make an Ajax call..." Can you elaborate on how this is accomplished via a cron job?

TCB13 Over a year ago

You don't. You just have to create one PHP file that does everything and then set a cron job to execute it.

George Cummins · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-07 16:33:36Z

1

If your script relies on Javascript for proper execution, you will need to use a browser to accomplish your goals.

However, if you can alter your script to perform all of the functionality via PHP, perhaps using cURL to request the necessary data, you can use a cron job to execute the script at regular intervals.

answered May 7, 2013 at 16:33

George Cummins

29k8 gold badges74 silver badges91 bronze badges

Comments

Dave Chen · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-07 16:36:34Z

1

If you're running a script at an interval, I would recommend using a bash script instead that runs in the background.

#!/bin/bash

while [ 1 ]
do
    php "script.php"
    sleep 300
done

Then you can run the script like nohup bash.sh. 300 seconds = 5 minutes.

answered May 7, 2013 at 16:36

Dave Chen

11k8 gold badges42 silver badges72 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Self running php script?

3 Answers 3

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related