Starting an external program from PHP
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:40 am
Hi All,
I have an idea for a website which I'm hoping to eventually retire on (that's the theory anyways
). Anyway the idea is that people will be able to edit their word processor documents - Microsoft Word to start with, Spreadsheets - Excel etc from wherever they happen to be. Even if those applications are not installed on their own PCs.
I have quite have a lot of experience programming, having worked on embedded C for AƩrospacial, but am pretty new to PHP.
The idea I had was that I could just install a copy of those applications on MY pc and when the user came to my site, I would just fire them up using PHP so that they could just work away on their stuff across the net.
The problem I am having is that when I use PHP's exec command to launch Word, it only seems to run locally. I.E NOTHING appears on the webpage at all. Just a blank screen.
I know it's probably something simple, but does anyone have any pointers as to what I'm doing wrong.
Thanks
I have an idea for a website which I'm hoping to eventually retire on (that's the theory anyways
I have quite have a lot of experience programming, having worked on embedded C for AƩrospacial, but am pretty new to PHP.
The idea I had was that I could just install a copy of those applications on MY pc and when the user came to my site, I would just fire them up using PHP so that they could just work away on their stuff across the net.
The problem I am having is that when I use PHP's exec command to launch Word, it only seems to run locally. I.E NOTHING appears on the webpage at all. Just a blank screen.
I know it's probably something simple, but does anyone have any pointers as to what I'm doing wrong.
Thanks