How to run a computation while running a websocket server in PHP? - php

Question

I have the following scenario:
I have an API built with the Slim PHP framework. I am using the PHP lib Ratchet to run a WebSocket server. Once the WebSocket server is started, I want to run a function that does some computation while the server is running.
So far, inside my API, I have a route that calls the MyMethod method of a class MyClass. Inside the class, I have the following:
class MyClass {
public $calculation_status;
public function MyMethod() {
$server = IoServer::factory(
new HttpServer(
new WsServer(
new messengerApp($this)
)
),
8080
);
$this->doCalculationAsynchronously()->then(
function ($result) {
$this->calculation_status = 'finished';
},
function ($reason) {
$this->calculation_status = 'stopped';
},
function ($update) {
$this->calculation_status = 'still working...';
}
}
$server->run($this);
}
public function doCalculationAsynchronously() {
$deferred = new Deferred();
$this->computeSomethingAsync(function ($error = null, $result) use ($deferred) {
if ($error) {
$deferred->reject($error);
} else {
$deferred->resolve($result);
}
});
return $deferred->promise();
}
public function computeSomethingAsync() {
// Simulate a long running calculation
while(true){} // OR sleep(1000000);
return $result;
}
}
So, I'm expecting this to try to start running the asynchronous calculation function, return a promise to MyMethod, and then run my WebSocket server.
The reason for injecting $this into the server is to access my calculation_status property and be able to send it to clients through the WS.
This code is inspired by the example for Deferred in the ReactPHP doc
Note: If I don't have the forever while loop, it goes on and runs the server correctly (but this is synchronous behavior; my goal for the server is to send the calculation status to clients). Injecting the class into the object works fine as well.