note 71172 added to features.connection-handling

Closing the users browser connection whilst keeping your php script running has been an issue since 4.1, when the behaviour of register_shutdown_function() was modified so that it would not automatically close the users connection. sts at mail dot xubion dot hu Posted the original solution: <?php header("Connection: close"); ob_start(); phpinfo(); $size=ob_get_length(); header("Content-Length: $size"); ob_end_flush(); flush(); sleep(13); error_log("do something in the background"); ?> Which works fine until you substitute phpinfo() for echo ('text I want user to see'); in which case the headers are never sent! The solution is to explicitly turn off output buffering and clear the buffer prior to sending your header information. example: <?php ob_end_clean(); header("Connection: close"); ignore_user_abort(); // optional ob_start(); echo ('Text the user will see'); $size = ob_get_length(); header("Content-Length: $size"); ob_end_flush(); // Strange behaviour, will not work flush(); // Unless both are called ! // Do processing here sleep(30); echo('Text user will never see'); ?> Just spent 3 hours trying to figure this one out, hope it helps someone :) Tested in: IE 7.5730.11 Mozilla Firefox 1.81 ---- Server IP: 85.116.0.130 Probable Submitter: 139.184.30.16 (proxied: 139.184.134.166) ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.connection-handling.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/71172 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/71172/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/71172/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/71172/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/71172/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/71172/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/71172/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/71172 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/71172 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php