PHP 7.0.6 Released

    socket_read

    (PHP 4 >= 4.1.0, PHP 5, PHP 7)

    socket_read — Reads a maximum of length bytes from a socket

    Description

    string socket_read ( resource $socket , int $length [, int $type = PHP_BINARY_READ ] )

    The function socket_read() reads from the socket resource socket created by the socket_create() or socket_accept() functions.

    Parameters

    socket

    A valid socket resource created with socket_create() or socket_accept().

    length

    The maximum number of bytes read is specified by the length parameter. Otherwise you can use \r, \n, or \0 to end reading (depending on the type parameter, see below).

    type

    Optional type parameter is a named constant:

    • PHP_BINARY_READ (Default) - use the system recv() function. Safe for reading binary data.
    • PHP_NORMAL_READ - reading stops at \n or \r.

    Return Values

    socket_read() returns the data as a string on success, or FALSE on error (including if the remote host has closed the connection). The error code can be retrieved with socket_last_error(). This code may be passed to socket_strerror() to get a textual representation of the error.

    Note:

    socket_read() returns a zero length string ("") when there is no more data to read.

    See Also

    User Contributed Notes

    cottton at i-stats dot net
    1 year ago
    quote:
    "Note:
    socket_read() returns a zero length string ("") when there is no more data to read."

    This is not true!

    In a while loop 
    (example case few bytes to receive - just enough for 1 call, but you use a loop to be sure you received all data)
    if you use
    <? socket_set_block($socket); ?>
    you will get:
    1st call in loop: data
    2nd call in loop: a block forever, if there isnt data anymore or w/e happen to the "other side"

    So ofc you want to use
    <? socket_set_nonblock($socket); ?>
    and you will get:
    1st call in loop: data
    2nd call in loop: socket_read() returns FALSE (bool) and socket_last_error() gives you a SOCKET_EWOULDBLOCK (http://de1.php.net/manual/de/sockets.constants.php)

    There is not a single time i got a empty string back from socket_read.
    And im "working" on this problem(bug?) since a week or so.

    You better use socket_recv() instead.
    (good luck)
    michi at tr51 dot org
    11 years ago
    if you'd like to make a "socket_read" on a linux-system connected with a flash-client (v. 6.0 r81) you have to send a string to the connected port:

    <?php

           ...  //initialising communication

            $string = "ready to get/send data\0";
            socket_write($socket, $string);

            //now you can read from...
            $line = trim(socket_read($socket, MAXLINE));

        ...      // do some stuff, finaly close connection
    ?>
    Anonymous
    8 years ago
    On non-blocking connections it may not return full length requested.
    Bill Kuker
    11 years ago
    Just a note that on my system the length seems to have an undocumented upper bound of 65536. I was being lazy and not read()ing in a while loop until I pointed it at real data ;)
    t33th4n at gmail dot com
    7 years ago
    I don't know if is it stated anywhere with this clearance, but here is the source code for detecting the connection abort/closure for sockets testing with socket_read function:

    <?php
    $buf     = @socket_read($routes[$i][$connectionid]['tunnelsrc'], $buffer_size);
    if (    $buf === '')
    {
            $routes[$i][$connectionid]['disconnected']='Conenction abort at source side';
    }
    ?>

    ($buf === '') is the key :)

    I was making an ecrypted tunnel script with mcrypt and was annoying that i could not detect the connection abort from any side.
    nad0r1 at hush dot ai
    8 years ago
    Another way to bypass the annoying thing with telnet, that send each character as a string ,is to check if the response is "\r\n", that is the string that telnet sends when the user presses enter.

    Here is an example:
    <?php
    error_reporting    (E_ALL);

    /* Allow the script to hang around waiting for connections. */
    set_time_limit(0);

    /* Turn on implicit output flushing so we see what we're getting
    * as it comes in. */
    ob_implicit_flush();

    $address = '127.0.0.1';
    $port = 100;

    if ((    $sock = socket_create(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, SOL_TCP)) === false) {
        echo     "socket_create() failed: reason: " . socket_strerror(socket_last_error()) . "\n";
    }

    if (    socket_bind($sock, $address, $port) === false) {
        echo     "socket_bind() failed: reason: " . socket_strerror(socket_last_error($sock)) . "\n";
    }
    else
      echo     'Socket ' . $address . ':' . $port . " has been opened\n";

    if (    socket_listen($sock, 5) === false) {
        echo     "socket_listen() failed: reason: " . socket_strerror(socket_last_error($sock)) . "\n";
    }
    else
       echo     "Listening for new clients..\n";

           $client_id = 0;
    do {
        if ((    $msgsock = socket_accept($sock)) === false) {
            echo     "socket_accept() failed: reason: " . socket_strerror(socket_last_error($sock)) . "\n";
            break;
        }
        else {
                $client_id += 1;
          echo     "Client #" .$client_id .": Connect\n";
        }
         
            /* Send instructions. */
            $msg = "\nWelcome to the PHP Test Server. \n" .
                "To quit, type 'quit'. To shut down the server type 'shutdown'.\n";
            socket_write($msgsock, $msg, strlen($msg));
    $cur_buf = '';
        do {
            if (    false === ($buf = socket_read($msgsock, 2048))) {
                echo     "socket_read() failed: reason: " . socket_strerror(socket_last_error($msgsock)) . "\n";
                break     2;
            }
            if (    $buf == "\r\n") {
            if (    $cur_buf == 'quit') {
                echo     'Client #' .$client_id .': Disconnect' . "\n";
                break;
            }
            if (    $cur_buf == 'shutdown') {
                    socket_close($msgsock);
                break     2;
            }
                //else {
               $talkback = "Unknown command: " . str_replace("\r\n", '\r\n', $cur_buf) ."\n";
               socket_write($msgsock, $talkback, strlen($talkback));
               // }
                echo 'Client #' .$client_id .': ' . $cur_buf . "\n";
                $cur_buf = '';
            }
            else     $cur_buf .= $buf;
        } while (    true);
            socket_close($msgsock);
    } while (    true);

    socket_close($sock);
    ?>
    dhaubert dot ti at gmail dot com
    8 months ago
    A way to wait for a message response by the socket or take the first message incoming.

    Note that if the server turn offline, you have a socket resource, but while trying socket_read(), it gives you a warning message that will fill your hard drive kickly due to logging.

    The example above try read the message at best 3 times, 3 seconds sleeping for another reading.
    <?php
    function waitResponse($response = "") {
           $status = "";
           $tries = 3;
           $counter = 0;
       while (    $status == $response) {
                    $status = socket_read($socket, 1024);
                if(!    $status){
                   if(    $counter >= $tries){
                      break;
                   }else{
                          $counter++;
                          sleep(3);
                   }
                }
       }
    return     $response;
    }
    eng.mrkto.com
    5 years ago
    It seems like in socket_* functions in BLOCKING mode where is no way to check if more than $length bytes are still available in socket (like stream_get_meta_data()['unread_bytes']).
    So you need to choose your prefered maximum $length (like 133693415:) or use non-blocking mode (for realy big data reciving).
    nuitari-php at nuitari dot net
    8 years ago
    PHP_NORMAL_READ - reading stops at \n or \r.

    This seems to be meant literally.
    If there is a \r, then it will stop reading, even if there is a \n right after it. You have to call the read again just to get rid of the \n.
    dotpointer
    9 years ago
    PHP 5.2.0 / Win32 / Apache 1.3 - It seems like...

    PHP_BINARY_READ - works, but returns '', not FALSE...
    - is blocking, until data received or connection closed
    - does pass-through \r\n etc.
    - returns data on data, '' on connection closed
    - you can detect closed connection by checking for '' (not FALSE as stated i manual)

    PHP_NORMAL_READ - not working so good...
    - is non-blocking
    - does not pass-through \r\n etc.
    - returns false on no-data, false on connection closed :(
    - (no way here to detect a closed connection...?)
    - (is this a bug? http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=21880 )
    - (is this a bug? http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=21197 )
    - (could not get data from this option at all in fact...)

    PHP_BINARY_READ seems to be the "right way to go"
    for now. Both checking for '' and false to detect closed
    connection is probably smart, as this "bug"(?) may
    be fixed...
    Niels laukens
    9 years ago
    This paragraph is confusing:

    socket_read() returns the data as a string on success, or FALSE on error (including if the remote host has closed the connection). The error code can be retrieved with socket_last_error(). This code may be passed to socket_strerror() to get a textual representation of the error.
    Note: socket_read() returns a zero length string ("") when there is no more data to read.

    My tests (on PHP 5.1.4) show that when you socket_read() on a shutdown-socket, it returns FALSE when using PHP_NORMAL_READ, but returns "" when reading in PHP_BINARY_READ.
    schst at php-tools dot de
    12 years ago
    You may download a generic server class at http://www.php-tools.de
    This class will accept the sockets read data from it and hands it to a callback function. Furthermore there are methods for connection handling included.
    Anonymous
    13 years ago
    Windows telnet sends/recieves one character at a time. Try adding PHP_NORMAL_READ to the end of socket_read, that might help.
    magicking89 at hotmail dot com
    12 years ago
    if you want to use a non block socket you must to use socket_last_error

    if(!socket_last_error($sc)){
       if($buffer=socket_read($sc,512,PHP_NORMAL_READ)){
          echo $buffer;
       }
    }

    if you use it your script wont take all your memory
    tech [{at}] swatcash [{dot}] com
    7 years ago
    Messed up the end of my previous one. Corrected version here:

    a simple work around to non-blocking working with normal read is like so:

    $read = array($socket);
    $write  = NULL;
    $except = NULL;
    while(1) {
        $num_changed_sockets = socket_select($read, $write, $except, 0, 1);
        if ( $num_changed_sockets > '0' ) {
            socket_read($socket,10000,PHP_NORMAL_READ);
        }
    }
    jgbustos at gmail dot com
    8 years ago
    PHP on win32 developers, please look at this bug report before using the PHP_NORMAL_READ option:

    http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=21197

    In a nutshell, using PHP_NORMAL_READ will make your calls to socket_read() return an empty buffer every time.
    ein at anti-logic dot com
    8 years ago
    the proper way to detect a closed connection is to check socket_last_error.

    Connection reset by peer is 104 (either use socket_strerror or don't suppress errors for the time being to find these out), sooo.

    while($buffer=@socket_read($sock,512,PHP_NORMAL_READ)){
        echo $buffer;
    }
    if(socket_last_error($sock) == 104) {
        echo "Connection closed";
    }
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