PHP Git Integration
In this page:
Introduction to Git
Git is a version control system that tracks every change to your codebase over time; PHP scripts can shell out to Git commands to automate checks like verifying the working tree is clean before deploying.
Example: Introduction to Git
<?php
$status = shell_exec('git status --porcelain 2>&1');
echo $status === '' ? "Working tree is clean" : "There are uncommitted changes";
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Initializing Repositories
You can create a .gitignore file or run 'git init' programmatically from PHP, which is occasionally useful for tooling that scaffolds new projects automatically.
Example: Initializing Repositories
<?php
// shell_exec('git init');
file_put_contents('.gitignore', "vendor/\n.env\n");
echo file_get_contents('.gitignore');
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Running Git Commands
shell_exec() lets a PHP script run arbitrary shell commands, including Git commands -- but on shared hosting you should suppress and check errors carefully, since shell access is often restricted or risky.
Example: Running Git Commands
<?php
$output = shell_exec('git --version 2>&1');
echo $output !== null ? trim($output) : "shell_exec unavailable or restricted";
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Automating Commits
A backup script can stage modified files and commit them automatically on a schedule, giving you an audit trail of changes even for data that isn't normally version-controlled by hand.
Example: Automating Commits
<?php
// shell_exec('git add . && git commit -m "Automated backup"');
echo "A scheduled script could stage and commit changes automatically";
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Safe Environment Checks
Running Git commands from a live, internet-facing script is dangerous unless carefully locked down -- an exposed .git folder or an unguarded shell_exec() endpoint can leak your entire source history to an attacker.
Example: Safe Environment Checks
<?php
$path = ".git/config";
if (file_exists($path)) {
echo "Warning: .git folder should never be publicly reachable";
} else {
echo "No exposed .git folder found here";
}
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