parallel downloads in PHP

Question

I want to download (or simply file_get_contents) for 5 places. I wait say 1.2 sec for each that means in total 1.2X5=6 seconds. I want to save waiting time. I thought I could wait 1.3 sec is enough. How can I approach?

Piliferous

I do not understand. Do you want to download something in your script, or offer something for download? Then I don't understand what you want to do with the timing – Bighead

I think he wants his script to download 5 files in parallel. – Act

can you execute command line programs? – Bighead

@Bighead never mind timing. Yes I can execute but wont prefer any way – Piliferous

Answer 1

You can use the curl_multi_* functions to achieve parallel downloads.

Kelseykelsi

Answer 2

this is possible but only by creating multiple threads outside PHP

With PHP scripts run in a single thread, meaning that it can only do 1 task at a time, the only way you can do this with PHP is by creating / using an external application installed / placed on your server and using exec to do this and waiting for a response from the exec, or using the fork_* functions to be able to dip and dive in and out of threads.

Vins

Answer 3

To get you started you can run the downloads in parallel by forking them into the background using php's popen: http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.popen.php

Xiomaraxiong

Answer 4

The curl_multi functions can be used for this purpose. Sample code is available in this repository.

https://github.com/amirreza-noori/PHP-multi-connection-downloader/

Nachison

Answer 5

http://code.google.com/p/multicurl-library/

btw. you're looking for non blocking connections.

Taveda