CheatPHP Command-line interpreter
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Start here
php <file>
Run a script
php -r '<code>'
Run one-liner code
php -l <file>
Syntax check only
php -S localhost:8000
Dev web server
php -aInteractive shell
php -vShow version
php -mList extensions
php --iniWhich php.ini is loaded
Concepts
- php.ini main config
- conf.d/*.ini per extension
- -d key=value this run only
Run code
php <file> [args]
Run a script, args land in $argv
php -r '<code>'
Run code without <?php tags
php -r '<code>' -- -x
Pass args that look like options
php -f <file>
Parse and execute a file
php < <file>
Run a script from stdin
php -d <key>=<value> <file>
Override an ini setting for this run
php -d memory_limit=-1 <file>
Lift the memory cap for one run
php -c <path> <file>
Use another php.ini file or dir
php -n <file>
Ignore php.ini entirely
php -w <file>
Show source without comments
php -s <file>
Output HTML-highlighted source
Check and inspect
php -l <file>
Lint: parse only, do not run
Catches syntax errors only, not runtime fatals such as an
undefined function.
php -vShow PHP version and SAPI
php -mList loaded modules
php -iPrint phpinfo()
php --iniShow loaded ini files
php --ini=diffShow ini values changed from default
Needs PHP 8.5 or newer.
php --ri <ext>
Show one extension's settings
php --ri mainShow core settings
php -hList all CLI options
Built-in server
php -S localhost:8000
Serve the current directory
php -S localhost:8000 -t <dir>
Serve a given docroot
php -S 0.0.0.0:8000
Reachable from other machines
php -S localhost:8000 <router.php>
Run a router script per request
Return false from the router to serve the requested file
as-is.
PHP_CLI_SERVER_WORKERS=4 php -S localhost:8000
Handle requests in parallel
Single-threaded by default, so one slow request blocks the
rest. Not on Windows.
Configuration
display_errors=1
Show errors on screen (dev)
error_reporting=E_ALL
Report every error level
memory_limit=512M
Raise the memory cap
max_execution_time=0
No time limit (CLI default)
date.timezone=UTC
Silence timezone warnings
opcache.enable_cli=1
Enable the opcache for CLI runs
Off by default in the CLI; only helps long-running or repeated
processes.
php -d <key>=<value> --ri <ext>
Verify a setting took effect
Reflection
php --rf <function>
Show a function's signature
php --rc <class>
Show a class's methods and constants
php --re <ext>
Show an extension's functions and classes
php --rz <zend-ext>
Show a Zend extension's config
Process input lines
php -R '<code>'
Run code per stdin line ($argn)
php -B '<code>' -R '<code>' -E
'<code>'
Begin, per line, end
php -F <file>
Run a file for each stdin line
Interactive
php -aOpen the interactive shell
Needs the readline extension; PHP 8.1 and later refuse to
start without it.
#cli.pager=lessPage long shell output
#cli.prompt=<text>
Change the shell prompt
Recipes
find src -name '*.php' -print0 | xargs -0 -n1 php -lphp -r 'echo PHP_VERSION, PHP_EOL;'php -r 'echo json_encode(array_slice(get_loaded_extensions(), 0, 3));'echo 'a b' | php -R 'echo strtoupper($argn), PHP_EOL;'php -S localhost:8000 -t public public/index.php# open http://localhost:8000php -m | grep -i <ext>php --iniphp --ri <ext>
