Introduction to the PHP5 Command Line Interface (Ubuntu version)

So you'd like to write and run your PHP5 code without using a web browser. Where you run it from the command-line....

First make sure that the php5 cli is installed by typing this on the command line (terminal, shell, whatever you want to call it) :

sudo apt-get install php5-cli

Now it's time to create your first command line script to test. Use your favourite editor to create the following program and save it as hello.php:

<?php
echo 'hello world!';
?>

Now back to the command line. Make sure you are in the same directory as hello.php was saved. Now type:
php5 hello.php

You should see that hello world! is echo'd to the command line.

Now the following program:

• Takes the first number
• Assigns it to a variable ($first)
• Takes the second number
• Assigns it to a variable ($second)
• Adds the two numbers together and assigns them to the variable $answer
• Echo's the value of the variable $answer, then adds a line break.

<?php
echo 'Enter first number ';
$first = fgets(STDIN);
echo 'Enter second number ';
$second = fgets(STDIN);
$answer = $first + $second;
echo 'And the answer is '.$answer.PHP_EOL;
?>

Now you're ready to go.