php-doc-en/reference/exec/functions/exec.xml

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  <refentry id="function.exec">
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>exec</refname>
    <refpurpose>Execute an external program</refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>
   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>
     <methodsynopsis>
      <type>string</type><methodname>exec</methodname>
      <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>command</parameter></methodparam>
      <methodparam choice="opt"><type>array</type><parameter>output
       </parameter></methodparam>
      <methodparam choice="opt"><type>int</type><parameter>return_var</parameter></methodparam>
     </methodsynopsis>
    <para>
     <function>exec</function> executes the given
     <parameter>command</parameter>, however it does not output
     anything.  It simply returns the last line from the result of the
     command.  If you need to execute a command and have all the data
     from the command passed directly back without any interference,
     use the <function>passthru</function> function.
    </para>
    <para>
     If the <parameter>output</parameter> argument is present, then the
     specified array will be filled with every line of output from the
     command.  Line endings, such as <literal>\n</literal>, are not
     included in this array.  Note that if the array already contains some 
     elements, <function>exec</function> will append to the end of the array.
     If you do not want the function to append elements, call
     <function>unset</function> on the array before passing it to
     <function>exec</function>.
    </para>
    <para>
     If the <parameter>return_var</parameter> argument is present
     along with the <parameter>output</parameter> argument, then the
     return status of the executed command will be written to this
     variable.
    </para>
    <para>
     <example>
      <title>An <function>exec</function> example</title>
      <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
// outputs the username that owns the running php/httpd process
// (on a system with the "whoami" executable in the path)
echo exec('whoami');
?>
]]>
      </programlisting>
     </example>
    </para>
    &warn.escapeshell;
    &note.exec-bg;
    &note.exec-path;
    &warn.sm.exec;
    <para>
     See also <function>system</function>,
     <function>passthru</function>, <function>popen</function>,
     <function>escapeshellcmd</function>, and the <link
     linkend="language.operators.execution">backtick operator</link>.
    </para>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

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