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I have a PHP script that is called from PayPal IPN. When a user purchases something form my site, the IPN PHP script creates the user in the mysql database. At a later time, 24hrs, that user needs to be deleted from the database. I assume that using the "at" command would work. I believe the problem I am running into is regarding the parentheses in my command. 

<?php
$email = "[email protected]";
$cmd = 'mysql -u username -pPassword -e `DELETE FROM db.users WHERE users.email = "$email";`|at tomorrow';
exec($cmd);
?>

If I run this page as-is, it throws the following error:

warning: commands will be executed using /bin/sh
sh: 1: DELETE: not found
mysql: option '-e' requires an argument
job 38 at Sun Feb  8 04:59:00 2015

That is what is leading me to believe there is a problem with my quotes and parentheses.

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  • Why not use the mysqli function set? That's what they're there for – Machavity Feb 8 '15 at 3:51
  • Because I need it to be scheduled to run at a later date. Unless you know of a method within the mysql function set that will accomplish that.. – user2341830 Feb 8 '15 at 3:59
  • That's what cron jobs are for. Runs at a set time but runs a pure PHP script to access your database – Machavity Feb 8 '15 at 4:14
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You should explain the problem you're running into. The first thing I note is that you use single quotes - those don't interpret the inner string so $email doesn't get replaced for the e-mail value.

Second - you're using backticks. The command gets executed in a bash shell, where the backticks around your query get interpreted as a shell command. Try this: $cmd = "echo mysql -u username -pPassword -e \\'DELETE FROM db.users WHERE users.email = \\\"$email\\\"\\' |at tomorrow";

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  • As for using at to schedule, I'm not sure that's going to work; it depends on server configuration (especially if you're running on a system you don't administer yourself). Generally such tasks would be solved by adding the tasks to a queue and scheduling a script run (using crontab, for example) which would execute the necessary commands from the queue. – AdrianH Feb 8 '15 at 3:57
  • It is my personal server. I have used AT many times in the past and it has worked great for me. I am open to cron jobs if I have a thought... The problem still is within the $cmd string. I have my first set of parentheses around the entire command, then another set around the SQL query, then a third around the $email variable. That doesnt seem to work well.. – user2341830 Feb 8 '15 at 4:02
  • That did it! Thanks for the explanation! – user2341830 Feb 8 '15 at 4:08
  • You wouldnt happen to know why the sql query is executed immediately and not being passed to the AT command? I check the database, and the user is deleted immediately. I check the AT queue, and there is nothing in it. – user2341830 Feb 8 '15 at 4:27
  • You're right, I forgot about that. It's going to execute the first part of the command, generate its output and try to pass that to "at". Try echoing the first part - $cmd = "echo mysql ... " – AdrianH Feb 8 '15 at 4:39
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try this : 

"mysql -u username -pPassword -e `DELETE FROM db.users WHERE users.email = '$email'`|at tomorrow";
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