Writing and Automating PHP Crons in Windows and Linux
Find out how to automate PHP scripts so they run unattended at scheduled times on both Windows and Linux.
by Octavia Andreea Anghel
November 14, 2008
cron (an abbreviation for chronograph) defines a process used to execute a script, start a program, send a newsletter, backup a database, display a message, remove some unnecessary files at a specified date or time, or at a set interval. In general, any process that you want the computer to execute automatically is a cron. This article explains how you can run PHP scripts as crons.
PHP Crons and Linux
Linux has a good solution for managing processes that execute at specific times: the cron daemon (called crond). You define the scripts or commands that you want to run in "crontab" files. Crontabs represent a set of tasks performed chronologically; each line represents one entry. Each entry specifies information about how to perform a task, such as executing a script. These individual tasks are called "cron jobs."
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cron (an abbreviation for chronograph) defines a process used to execute a script, start a program, send a newsletter, backup a database, display a message, remove some unnecessary files at a specified date or time, or at a set interval. In general, any process that you want the computer to execute automatically is a cron. This article explains how you can run PHP scripts as crons.
