$_SERVER['argv'][1] is breaking script in query ?

[micah1701]

I have a mass mailing program that lets a user write a e-mail message into a textbox and hit submit.  The script then saves the contents in a database and "forks" (sort of) using exec() to run the script that goes through each member in the database and send them the message.

[code]$getID = mysql_query("SELECT MAX(id) AS id FROM bulkMail");
$id = mysql_result($getID,0,0);

//execute distribution script
exec("php /www/htdocs/newsletter/distribution.php $id > /dev/null &");[/code]

this allows the user to go about their life while the script in "distribution.php" runs the e-mail program and sends the message w/ the id of $id.

On the distribution.php page, this $id is passed in array $_SERVER['argv'][1];

The id IS BEING PASSED, if I use the script and have it output the passed variable, it shows it to me.  The problem is when I do this:[code]$getMessage = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'");[/code] The script wont work.

if I overwrite $id to an integer of a known table row ($id=5;) the script works.
but if I use the passed variable ($id= $_SERVER['argv'][1]) it doesn't work.

What am I missing?  I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure this out.  ???

[effigy]

Are you trying to use $_SERVER['argv'][1] within the string? If so, you need to use braces to disambiguate. Otherwise, I don't understand how the variable is passed, but you can't use it. What does this show you?

[code]echo '<pre>', print_r($_SERVER, true), '</pre>';[/code]

[kenrbnsn]

Please post the code of your "distribution.php" script. We need to see that code before we can help you.

Ken

[micah1701]

[quote]I don't understand how the variable is passed, but you can't use it. What does this show you?

Code:

echo '<pre>', print_r($_SERVER, true), '</pre>';[/quote]

the $_SERVER array passes:
[code]Array
(
    [PWD] => /var/www/html
    [JTOOLS_CONF_USER] => .jtools
    [JTOOLS_HOME] => /usr
    [LC_MESSAGES] => C
    [LD_PRELOAD] =>
    [HOSTNAME] => sd32.vds2000.com
    [LD_LIBRARY_PATH] => /lib:/usr/lib:/usr/local/lib:/usr/local/hostdir/lib
    [SPH_CONFIG] => /usr/local/hostdir/conf/hostdir.xml
    [LESSOPEN] => |/usr/bin/lesspipe.sh %s
    [ENV] => /root/.bashrc
    [USER] => root
    [LS_COLORS] => no=00:fi=00:di=01;34:ln=01;36:pi=40;33:so=01;35:do=01;35:bd=40;33;01:cd=40;33;01:or=40;31;01:ex=01;32:*.tar=01;31:*.tgz=01;31:*.arj=01;31:*.taz=01;31:*.lzh=01;31:*.zip=01;31:*.z=01;31:*.Z=01;31:*.gz=01;31:*.bz2=01;31:*.deb=01;31:*.rpm=01;31:*.jpg=01;35:*.png=01;35:*.gif=01;35:*.bmp=01;35:*.ppm=01;35:*.tga=01;35:*.xbm=01;35:*.xpm=01;35:*.tif=01;35:*.png=01;35:*.mpg=01;35:*.avi=01;35:*.fli=01;35:*.gl=01;35:*.dl=01;35:
    [MACHTYPE] => i386-redhat-linux-gnu
    [SPH_HOME] => /usr/local/hostdir
    [LC_ALL] => C
    [MAIL] => /var/spool/mail/root
    [INPUTRC] => /etc/inputrc
    [BASH_ENV] => /root/.bashrc
    [SPH_ACCOUNTS] => /sphera/accounts
    [LANG] => C
    [LC_NUMERIC] => C
    [LOGNAME] => root
    [SHLVL] => 7
    [JTOOLS_LOGLEVEL] => notice
    [LC_CTYPE] => C
    [_] => /bin/php
    [SHELL] => /bin/bash
    [HOSTTYPE] => i386
    [OSTYPE] => linux-gnu
    [HISTSIZE] => 1000
    [TERM] => xterm
    [HOME] => /root
    [PATH] => /sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin
    [JTOOLS_CONF_SYS] => /etc/jtools
    [LC_MONETARY] => C
    [LC_COLLATE] => C
    [SPHERA_monitor] => xxxx
    [SPHERA_service] => xxxx
    [SPHERA_fifoPath] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    [SPHERA_execName] => xxx
    [SPHERA_pIOr] => x
    [SPHERA_pIOw] => x
    [SPHERA_pNETr] => x
    [SPHERA_pNETw] => x
    [SPHERA_fd0] => xxxx
    [SPHERA_fd1] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    [SPHERA_fd2] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    [SPHERA_fd4] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    [SPHERA_fd5] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    [SPHERA_fd6] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    [SPHERA_fd7] => xxxxxx
    [SPHERA_fd15] =>

    [SPHERA_fd16] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    [SPHERA_fd17] => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    [SPHERA_config] => x
    [PHP_SELF] => /www/htdocs/newsletter/distribution.php
    [SCRIPT_NAME] => /www/htdocs/newsletter/distribution.php
    [SCRIPT_FILENAME] => /www/htdocs/newsletter/distribution.php
    [PATH_TRANSLATED] => /www/htdocs/newsletter/distribution.php
    [DOCUMENT_ROOT] =>
    [argv] => Array
        (
            [0] => /www/htdocs/newsletter/distribution.php
            [1] => 7
        )

    [argc] => 2
)
[/code]

Note at the very bottom, argv[1] is the value 7.  That is the value I want in my query.

my code in distribution.php is

[code]$id = $_SERVER['argv'][1];

$getMessage = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'") or die(mysql_error());
$messageRow = mysql_fetch_array($getMessage);
$subject = $messageRow['subject'];
$message = $messageRow['body'];

echo $subject."<br>";
echo $message;
[/code]

its failing at $getMessage = mysql_query.....
however, if I change the line that defines $id to an integer, ie:
$id = 7;

then, the script will work fine.

[.josh]

what do you mean by "failing" do you mean it's not returning a result, or are you getting some kind of error?

[micah1701]

since the script is running in the background, I can't exactly echo or print error messages to the screen.

what I have been doing is inserting a quick code to e-mail what I want outputted.

in the previously posted code, I added:
[code]$id = $_SERVER['argv'][1];

mail("[email protected]","distribution script ran","the id passed was: $id");

$getMessage = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'");
$messageRow = mysql_fetch_array($getMessage);
$subject = $messageRow['subject'];
$message = $messageRow['body'];

....
below is code that send my e-mail to all the users
[/code]

This sends me an e-mail with the message [quote]the id passed was: 7[/quote]

So I know it passed the variable, but the rest of the script didn't work.

then I did the same thing but moved my mail() script down a line to right after the query:
[code]$id = $_SERVER['argv'][1];

$getMessage = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'");

mail("[email protected]","distribution script ran","the id passed was: $id");

$messageRow = mysql_fetch_array($getMessage);
$subject = $messageRow['subject'];
$message = $messageRow['body'];

....
below is code that send my e-mail to all the users
[/code]

After doing that, it wouldn't even send me my e-mail.  So it has to be that line w/ the query.

[.josh]

maybe it's not the id but the query itself.  try changing this:

[code]
$id = $_SERVER['argv'][1];

$getMessage = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'");

mail("[email protected]","distribution script ran","the id passed was: $id");
[/code]

to this:

[code]
$id = $_SERVER['argv'][1];

$sql = "SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'";
$getMessage = mysql_query($sql) or die(mail("[email protected]","test","query string: $sql\n\r".mysql_error()));
[/code]
maybe the query itself is failing and it will send you an email with a clue

[kenrbnsn]

When I have to debug these types of problems I either use mail like you are doing or write messages to a temporary file. If you use a file, make sure the file is writable by the webserver.

In your case change the line:
[code=php:0]
<?php
$getMessage = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'");
?>
[/code]

to

[code=php:0]
<?php
$q = "SELECT * FROM bulkMail WHERE id='$id'";
$getMessage = mysql_query($q);
if (!$getMessage) {
    $mailmsg = "There was a problem in the query: $q\n".mysql_error();
  mail("[email protected]","error on query",$mailmsg);
  die(); }
?>
[/code]

Ken

[micah1701]

[quote]maybe the query itself is failing and it will send you an email with a clue[/quote]'

Crayon Violent and Kenrbns, YOU WERE RIGHT!  I was looking at my error output the wrong way

THANK YOU!!!!  :D

yeah, I feel like an idiot. I was so sure it wasn't the query because I tested the page by running it straight from the browser (not using exec()) and added a mysql_error() line and it didn't report any errors.

when I ran it from the browser, the page had no problems accessing my connection string information.
I use include('configInfo.php');

but when the site tried to run the file, it could needed a differnet path, IE:
include('/www/htdocs/scripts/.../configInfo.php');

I didn't realize this until you had me check for errors through the e-mail outtput.

Problem solved.  Thanks!

[.josh]

sweet.