exit code generation, php shell script/standalone

to tie in web based scripts and database updates with some server side maintenance and authentication issues, we need to have a PHP script be called from another program. The program expects a return or exit value to be transmitted back on completion or termination of the script. 0 indicating success and anything else indicating failure PHP has exit() and die() which, all though you can place a variable or string in it, only prints it to the screen (or other output target) prior to killing itself, and does not send an exit code as would a perl script is there any way to generate a exit code on the completion of a php script that will be interpreted by the program or CGI calling the script, even if it is code to wrap the PHP script in yet another perl shell. We need to send some variables back from the PHP script to the terminal as open text (just printed to the screen), but the program is specifically waiting for the exit code. really want to avoide writing a perl/dbi script to carry out this function. Appreciate any insight Dave