hi there,

i'm not sure if this is possible, but here goes.

Can anyone ask me, I want to execute a command found on the local machine from apache using server side variables, so I guess the first question would be.

Can i execute a command on the local machine?

via PHP? you can use never written in PHP but i see that answer on here a fair bit.

If i read it right you want to use variables stored on the machine where apache and your program/script is you want to run with PHP? dont think that's a problem

The question is ambiguous -- when you say 'local machine', do you mean local to the PHP process (ie the server) or local to the end user (ie the client).

Ethics has already answered for the first case, but the way I read the question, I thought you meant the latter.

So as I read it, you want to be able to start up a program on the user's PC, but under the control of your PHP program.

If that's what you're asking, then the short answer is no, you can't; that sort of thing is blocked by the browser for very good security reasons.

The closest you can get would be to get the user to download a Java applet or ActiveX control that does what you need, and get them to run it.