Using the php sleep() function

Question

I'm trying to print something, wait 5 seconds and move to another page. I'm using the sleep function but for some reason nothing is printed and looks like it skips the print part.

It looks like this:

<?php
echo "Thank you!";
sleep(5);
?>
<script type="text/javascript"> window.location = '?a=home'; </script>

If you want to do that then you have to do it in JavaScript using `setTimeout`. PHP runs **to completion** before your page is displayed. — Jon, May 30 '13 at 12:01
It's not skipping it, it's just sleeping before it renders to the client. The order of events you've written is "sleep 5 seconds, print something, move to another page." — David, May 30 '13 at 12:01
possible duplicate of [PHP issue with sleep() and redirect](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12298909/php-issue-with-sleep-and-redirect) — Jon, May 30 '13 at 12:03

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered May 30 '13 at 12:01

11

You need to remove php and use only javascript:

<script type="text/javascript"> setTimeout(
function() {
    window.location = '?a=home';
}, 5000);
</script>

answered May 30 '13 at 12:01

Vlad Bereschenko

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Thank you sir! I will accept your answer as soon as the site lets me. – Imri Persiado May 30 '13 at 12:03

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered May 30 '13 at 12:02

5

Perhaps it is better to use the HTML meta refresh tag. It has the same functionality but does so from the client:

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5;URL='?a=home'">

You can find more information here: http://www.metatags.info/meta_http_equiv_refresh

answered May 30 '13 at 12:02

Erik Schierboom

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered May 30 '13 at 12:02

2

You can use javascript to do that :

setTimeout('window.location.replace("?a=home")',5000);

answered May 30 '13 at 12:02

Bouffe

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this answer will work, but it is bad practice to use a string for the code in `setTimeout`. Write it as a function, as per the top voted answer. – Spudley May 30 '13 at 12:11

score 1 · Answer 4 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:33

1

You can do it in javascript or using headers.

in js:

<script>
window.setTimeout('window.location = "?a=home"', 5000); //5000 = 5 secs

using headers:

header('Refresh: 5;url=page.php?a=home'); // 5 = 5 secs

related post: How to Redirect Page in PHP after a few seconds without meta http-equiv=REFRESH CONTENT=time

edited May 23 '17 at 10:33

Community

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answered May 30 '13 at 12:03

skparwal

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered May 30 '13 at 12:01

0

I'm pretty sure that using sleep just delays the program execution. You will only see the content when your PHP script is done and you are preventing it from doing so because of the sleep function.

answered May 30 '13 at 12:01

Ronnie Jespersen

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Using the php sleep() function

5 Answers5