Executing javascript within PHP

Question

I believe it is possible to execute a java script function within PHP, but will it then remain server side as opposed to client side? Can I, within PHP, call a .js function, passing it some args, and have it return to the PHP that called it?

A script I want to use returns XML, and I want to get the user inputs using PHP, pass them to the .js function residing on the server, then take the returned xml and parse it back in the PHP part.

I ask because I see people commenting that because .js is client side and PHP is server side, they don't get along. I was hoping that by executing the .js function in the PHP, I could spoof the .js call as coming from the local machine (the server).

Thanks for any information!

Answer 1

You cannot call JavaScript from within PHP itself. PHP is not a JavaScript engine.

However, there is a PECL Extension for interfacing with V8:

• http://php.net/manual/en/book.v8js.php
• http://we-love-php.blogspot.de/2012/07/using-v8-javascript-engine-as-php.html

And you can interface with a (serverside) JavaScript engine. Have a look at node.js and

• Recommendation for integrating nodejs with php application

Answer 2

You could if you found a server-side Javascript interpreter that you could call out to. I haven't used PHPJS (http://phpjs.berlios.de/) but it might work.

It sounds like your better bet is to replace the js code, because what you're doing just sounds like a bad idea.