How to achieve streaming output in PHP?

In PHP, the flush() function can be used to achieve streaming output. Streaming output refers to sending data to the client gradually as it is being generated, instead of waiting for all data to be generated before sending.

Here is a simple example demonstrating how to use streaming output to print a series of numbers line by line.

<?php
ob_implicit_flush(true); // 开启自动刷新缓冲区
ob_end_flush(); // 清空缓冲区并关闭缓冲区输出

for ($i = 1; $i <= 10; $i++) {
    echo $i; // 输出当前数字
    echo "<br>"; // 输出换行符
    flush(); // 刷新输出缓冲区，将数据发送给客户端
    sleep(1); // 休眠1秒，模拟生成下一个数字的过程
}
?>

In the example above, we first enable automatic buffer flushing with the ob_implicit_flush(true) function, then we clear and close the output buffer with the ob_end_flush() function. Next, we use a loop to output numbers line by line, and use the flush() function to refresh the output buffer and send the data to the client. After each output, the program sleeps for 1 second using the sleep(1) function to simulate the process of generating the next number.

It is important to note that streaming output may be restricted or not available in certain server environments. If encountering any issues, consider adjusting server configurations or using alternative technologies to achieve real-time data output.