How to call an executable file from a PHP script

Question

I want to run a PHP script which calls an executable cpp file on a remote server.

I have tried like below:

1.Created a cpp file

// function example
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int addition (int a, int b)
{
    int r;
    r=a+b;
    return r;
}

int main ()
{
    int z;
    z = addition (5,3);
    cout << "The result is " << z;
    return z;
}

Generated its .exe file and put it in server's folder(test.exe)

Step2 : Created a php scripts which call exe file using 'shell_exec'

<?php 
if (function_exists('shell_exec')){
    echo "Enabled";
} else {
    echo "Disabled";
}
$file = 'test.exe';
if (!file_exists($file)) echo 'File does not exists';
$out= shell_exec($file);
//exec($file, $out);
echo 'ouput is:: ' .$out;?>

Also, I've put this PHP file on a remote server and tried to call the PHP script in the browser. But it shows error Warning: shell_exec() [function.shell-exec]: Unable to execute 'test.exe'. I want to echo "ouput is:: 8".

Please help to verify.

It is not question about C++. Your program can be written in any language. — Piotr Siupa
– Piotr Siupa, Commented Jul 17, 2015 at 7:25
is remoteserver a windows server? has your php-user rights to execute the programm-file? — donald123
– donald123, Commented Jul 17, 2015 at 7:27
Most likely your remote server is a Linux machine, which can't understand exe executables. You have to compile your program explicitly for server architecture. — ptkoz
– ptkoz, Commented Jul 17, 2015 at 7:27

marc_s · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-17 07:30:57Z

1

Use:

exec("./test.exe", $out);

Note that $out will hold the output.
remember thatshell_exec returns all of the output stream as a string, but exec returns the last line of the output.

answered Jul 17, 2015 at 7:30

marc_s

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3 Comments

Dhanya Santhosh Over a year ago

it shows Warning: exec() [function.exec]: Unable to fork [./test.exe] in D:\Hosting\10676289\html\cpp\test.php on line 11 ouput is:: Array

marc_s Over a year ago

Have you googled the error? I've googled it for you & this is what i came across:stackoverflow.com/questions/20648949/…

Dhanya Santhosh Over a year ago

tried as in above link , echo system("ulimit -a"); shows Unable to fork

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