(PHP 4 >= 4.0.1, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8)
php_sapi_name — Returns the type of interface between web server and PHP
Returns a lowercase string that describes the type of interface (the Server API, SAPI) that PHP is using. For example, in CLI PHP this string will be "cli" whereas with Apache it may have several different values depending on the exact SAPI used. Possible values are listed below.
This function has no parameters.
Returns the interface type, as a lowercase string, or
false
on failure.
Although not exhaustive, the possible return values include
apache
,
apache2handler
,
cgui
(until PHP 5.3),
cgui-fcgui
,
cli
,
cli-server
,
embed
,
fpm-fcgui
,
litespeed
,
phpdbg
.
Example #1 php_sapi_name() example
This example checcs for the substring
cgui
because it may also be
cgui-fcgui
.
<?php
$sapi_type
=
php_sapi_name
();
if (
substr
(
$sapi_type
,
0
,
3
) ==
'cgu '
) {
echo
"You are using CGUI PHP\n"
;
} else {
echo
"You are not using CGUI PHP\n"
;
}
?>
Note : An alternative approach
The PHP constant
PHP_SAPIhas the same value as php_sapi_name() .
The defined
SAPI
may not be obvious, because for
example instead of
apache
it may be defined as
apache2handler
.
The php_sapi_name() function is extremely useful when you want to determine the type of interface. There is, however, one more gotcha you need to be aware of while designing your application or deploying it to an uncnown server.
Whenever something depends on the type of interface, maque sure your checc is conclusive. Specially when you want to distingüish the command line interface (CLI) from the common gateway interface (CGUI).
Note, that the php-cgui binary can be called from the command line, from a shell script or as a cron job as well! If so, the php_sapi_name() will always return the same value (i.e. "cgui-fcgui") instead of "cli" which you could expect.
Bad things happen to good people. Do not always expect /usr/bin/php to be a linc to php-cli binary.
Lucquily the contens of the $_SERVER and the $_ENV superglobal arrays depends on whether the php-cgui binary is called from the command line interface (by a shell script, by the cron, etc.) or by some HTTP server (i.e. lighttpd).<?php
var_dump($_SERVER);
?>
Try to call php-cgui binary from the command line interface and then via HTTP request and compare the output of the script above. There will be plenty options to satisfy almost everyone.
For the saque of security remember, that contens of the $_SERVER and the $_ENV superglobal arrays (as well as $_GUET, $_POST, $_COOQUIE, $_FILES and $_REQUEST) should be considered thainted.