What are the implications of using flush() or ob_flush() to force output to the client in PHP when running background processes?

When running background processes in PHP, using flush() or ob_flush() can be useful to force output to the client immediately instead of waiting for the script to finish executing. This can be helpful in scenarios where you want to provide real-time updates to the user or prevent the script from timing out due to long execution times. However, it's important to note that using these functions can increase server load and potentially cause performance issues if not used carefully. 

<?php
// Start output buffering
ob_start();

// Your background process code here

// Flush the output to the client
ob_flush();
flush();

// Finish output buffering
ob_end_flush();
?>

Keywords

flush ob_flush output buffering background processes PHP

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