在服务器端执行php操作

Question

Im projecting some web based game. Basicially i want to perform this schema:

1. Player click on refill stock of product
2. There is some time to needed to perform action above, for example 1 minute and 30 seconds
3. Player change tab to product list and go back to shop overview
4. After one hour he go back to product page and stock is refilled.

I don't know how to perform delayed php action on server side just after clicking one button by user.

I know that i can do it by simply creating another mysql table and collect there any action performed by player and create on product page simple jquery countdown with time got from sql query.

But how to do that without this table?

Also how to create some random actions such us selling product for virtual person, generate some random power cuts etc. Is it even possible with AJAX or JQuery?

Maybe i should use some cronjobs such us IPBoard one's.

Literally i don't know where to start. I know that probably i don't have skills to create some more advanced web game, but i just want to try and learn something new.

Answer 1

One way to achieve this, depending on your environment and permissions on the server, would be to just create a bash script and call the bash script with

exec('sh /path/to/file.sh')

from your php file, for example wrapped in an ajax call.

The bash script can contain something like

#!/bin/bash\
echo php /path/to/file.php | at now + 2 min # << or whatever time you want