Calling a PHP script from a C++ Program

Question

I'm attempting to call a PHP script from a C++ program. For instance, here is an example C++ program:

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>

using namespace std; 

int main() {

cout << std::system("test.php");

return 0;
}

This program is calling some script "test.php" which might be structured like this:

<?php
echo "Hello";
?>

When running the C++ code, I get the following:

sh: 1: test.php: not found.

Now the obvious thing to check is if the files are in the same directory (they indeed are), however the error still persists. Any feedback on how I might go about doing something like this?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Try:

cout << std::system("php -f test.php");

If you want to execute a php script as a command line script you must add a shebang line at the first line of you php script. Like

#!/usr/bin/php

Answer 2

You have to specify the program which shall run the script ("php" in your case), unless the file is marked as executable, belongs to a directory of the PATH environment variable (or you run ./test.php) and has a shebang. You have to use system("php test.php").

This is because "sh" searches for "test.php" in the directories specified by PATH and the working directory usually is not contained in PATH.