How does the choice between using exec() and shell_exec() impact the execution of external commands in PHP scripts?

The choice between using exec() and shell_exec() in PHP scripts impacts the execution of external commands in terms of how the output is handled. exec() is used to execute a command and return the last line of the command output, while shell_exec() is used to execute a command and return the complete output as a string. Depending on the specific requirements of the script, one function may be more suitable than the other. 

// Using exec() to execute a command and return the last line of output
$output = exec('ls -l');
echo $output;

Keywords

exec shell_exec external commands PHP scripts execution impact

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