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Using sockets in PHP : Get articles from Usenet
Armel Fauveau picture of Armel Fauveau
PHP can open sockets on remote or local hosts. Here is a hands-on example of using such a socket: getting connected to a Usenet News Server, talking to this server, and downloading some articles for a precise newsgroup.
Opening a socket in PHP
Sockets are opened using fsockopen(). This function is both available in PHP3 and PHP4. It uses the following prototype :

<?php

int fsockopen
    (string hostname,
        int port [,
        int errno [,
        string errstr [,
        double timeout]]])
?>
For the Internet domain, it will open a TCP socket connection to hostname on port port. hostname may in this case be either a fully qualified domain name or an IP address. For UDP connections, you need to explicitly specify the protocol: udp://hostname. For the Unix domain, hostname will be used as the path to the socket, port must be set to 0 in this case. The optional timeout can be used to set a timeout in seconds for the connect system call.
More information about fsockopen() : http://www.php.net/manual/function.fsockopen.php
Network News Transfer Protocol
Accessing a Usenet News Server requires using a specific protocol, called NNTP and standing for Network News Transfer Protocol.
This protocol is higly detailed in RFC977 (Request For Comment number 977), which is available at : http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc977/rfc977.html
This document described precisely how to connect to and then dialog with the NNTP server thanks to the various commands available for the task.
Connecting
Connecting to the NNTP server requires knowing its hostname (or IP address) and the port it is listening on. You should include a timeout so that an unsuccessful attempt at connecting does not "freeze" the application.

<?php

$cfgServer    = "your.news.host";
$cfgPort    = 119;
$cfgTimeOut    = 10;

// open a socket
if(!$cfgTimeOut)
    // without timeout
    $usenet_handle = fsockopen($cfgServer, $cfgPort);
else
    // with timeout
    $usenet_handle = fsockopen($cfgServer, $cfgPort, &$errno, &$errstr, $cfgTimeOut);

if(!$usenet_handle) {
    echo "Connexion failed\n";
    exit();
}    
else {
    echo "Connected\n";
    $tmp = fgets($usenet_handle, 1024);
}

?>
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Comments:
RE: Sockets and Half-LifeJustin Frydman02/14/06 01:56
RE: use php exec() to Control Parallel Port coolvista10/31/05 13:24
RE: Retrieving article from usenetsangeeta chakraborty10/15/05 00:24
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RE: HTTP Proxy Servers and PHP SocketsRev Aaron04/23/04 10:47
RE: Quake III ProtocolKyle04/02/04 13:42
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RE: Retrive client's ip addressQuan Mac09/04/02 00:54
RE: How to open sockets from behind proxy serverIonut Daia08/22/02 20:39
ADVANCED PHP SOCKETSGustavo Almeida08/14/02 14:34
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RE: Sockets and Half-Life full script hereNvE0s06/26/02 19:41
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Wap -> Website -> Computer shutdown.Marek Miettinen06/14/02 06:56
RE: IRC Socket?Bryan06/12/02 01:36
RE: Browser Chat clientMax Mo06/11/02 08:10
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Accessing POP3 mailbox using PHP SocketsArun G P Dutt03/07/02 00:41
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RE: Sockets and Half-LifeDave02/18/02 18:46
RE: Browser Chat clientRob_Earl02/05/02 22:14
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RE: How to open sockets from behind proxy serverValberg Larusson01/19/02 01:02
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RE: Sockets and Half-LifeRuud Kamphuis01/01/02 09:05
RE: Sockets and Half-LifeDinesh12/30/01 14:46
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RE: How to open sockets from behind proxy serverSteven Chalker12/11/01 17:04
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RE: how to enable socket() in PHParchi6910/21/01 23:59
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RE: I would like to known more about php Ger van Vugt08/18/01 08:58
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RE: Sockets and Half-Lifeady07/28/01 09:33
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RE: Sockets and Half-Lifepaul07/09/01 22:55
RE: PHP telnet sockets(was client)OmagaSohe07/09/01 05:46
RE: IRC Socket?Nilo07/02/01 11:41
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RE: IRC Socket?Bertrand DUNOGIER06/26/01 04:12
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RE: HTTPS SocketsUwi06/13/01 07:34
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PHP Sockets...Kyle Olsen06/06/01 14:41
RE: PHP telnet client?Kyle Olsen06/04/01 11:30
RE: HTTPS SocketsJordan05/25/01 09:58
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Example at phpindex.com/ngAlex05/21/01 08:17
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RE: HTTPS SocketsErwin05/16/01 10:00
HTTPS SocketsJon Thomas05/13/01 18:32
PHP telnet client?jchc05/12/01 23:50
RE: IRC Socket?steve05/11/01 16:03
RE: decoding attachmentsOnno Benschop05/08/01 19:23
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RE: PHP Sockets on Windowsbmpc05/06/01 04:49
RE: Oy, why did the RFC specify numeric codes?Armel FAUVEAU05/03/01 09:45
RE: IRC Socket?Armel FAUVEAU05/03/01 09:42
RE: IRC Socket?Mathieu 'CaPS' Kooiman05/02/01 23:20
RE: Oy, why did the RFC specify numeric codes?Mathieu 'CaPS' Kooiman05/02/01 23:18
IRC Socket?Ninconvert05/02/01 17:33
RE: Oy, why did the RFC specify numeric codes?Armel FAUVEAU05/02/01 17:20
Radius check using PHP+socketsO. van Zandwijk05/02/01 15:07
Oy, why did the RFC specify numeric codes?Mathieu 'CaPS' Kooiman05/01/01 05:59
RE: disconneting ....Dave05/01/01 05:00
RE: IMAP functions?Dave05/01/01 04:59
decoding attachmentsChristian Lund04/30/01 14:02
RE: IMAP functions?Justin Plock04/30/01 11:08
PHP Sockets on WindowsC Clarke04/30/01 06:39
RE: IMAP functions?Armel FAUVEAU04/29/01 17:47
RE: IMAP functions?Xan Nick04/29/01 10:33
IMAP functions?Justin Plock04/28/01 01:24
disconneting ....E.Daspet04/28/01 00:49
 

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