can I call nodejs apps from php?

Question

can I call nodejs apps from php?

I am trying to do...

<?php $content = `echo 'h1 happy days' | jade`; ?>

But it does not return anything. Other commands do (for example ls)

I tried adding jade to the path, making a link in /bin which works from the command line, but not from within php.

What am I doing wrong?

Edit:

From command line:

bash-3.2$ pwd
/Users/billy/test/website-clear
bash-3.2$ echo 'h1 happy days' | jade
<h1>happy days</h1>bash-3.2$ which jade
/bin/jade
bash-3.2$

php
node.js

Answer 1

You have two other options that might suit you well: 1. proc_open if you want more degree of control:

    $handle = proc_open("jade", array( array("pipe", "r"), array("pipe", "w"), array("pipe", "w")), $pipes);
    fwrite($pipes[0], 'h1 happy days');
    fclose($pipes[0]);
    $result = stream_get_contents($pipes[1]);
    return $result;

2. Using exec:

    exec("echo 'h1 happy days' | jade", $output, $retval);
    return $output;

Make sure that you have jade in path or use the full path to jade executable.

Answer 2

Use the system function. I believe your external call creates it's own context by the operating system, which then gets it's own stdin/stdout/stderr. Do this instead:

<?php $content = system("echo 'h1 happy days' | jade", $retval); ?>