Sending multiple iPhone push notifications + APNS + PHP - php

Question

I am working on a PHP website + iPhone application and API for iPhone application, has a messaging system for students and doctors, when any one sends message (from website or iPhone) the other user should get push notification on his iphone. For example if student adds a new question for teacher, a push notification on teachers iPhone/iPad will be send to teacher and when teacher replies to student's answer, student will get a push notification.
Since there is no restriction on number of teachers and student registering to website, my question is how to send push messages to registered user's iPhone? I want to send push message as soon as someone replies or adds a question. Please provide me PHP code for sending multiple push messages.
I am saving device token for each user while registration.
When teacher reply to question I am sending mail to student, I want to send a push notification too to student and vice versa so please specify code able to manage error conditions.

Answer 1

Simple way to do it without use any file. You can call it multiple times with different tokeid.
$ctx = stream_context_create();
stream_context_set_option($ctx, 'ssl', 'local_cert', 'ckipad.pem');
stream_context_set_option($ctx, 'ssl', 'passphrase', $passphrase);
$fp = stream_socket_client('ssl://gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195',
$err,
$errstr,
60,
STREAM_CLIENT_CONNECT|STREAM_CLIENT_PERSISTENT,
$ctx);
//if (!$fp)
//exit("Failed to connect amarnew: $err $errstr" . PHP_EOL);
//echo 'Connected to APNS' . PHP_EOL;
// Create the payload body
$body['aps'] = array(
'badge' => +1,
'alert' => $message,
'sound' => 'default'
);
$payload = json_encode($body);
// Build the binary notification
$msg = chr(0) . pack('n', 32) . pack('H*', $deviceToken) . pack('n', strlen($payload)) . $payload;
// Send it to the server
$result = fwrite($fp, $msg, strlen($msg));
if (!$result)
echo 'Message not delivered' . PHP_EOL;
else
echo 'Message successfully delivered amar'.$message. PHP_EOL;
// Close the connection to the server
fclose($fp);

Answer 2

You should better use APNS library for PHP. You can find it here. Look through samples that developers provide.
I also had problems with certificates. My actions were:
locate file ApnsPHP/Abstract.php
make some changes to _connect() method, paste this lines
$streamContext = stream_context_create(
array(
'ssl' => array(
'local_cert' => $this->_sProviderCertificateFile,
'passphrase' => ''
)
)
);
$this->_hSocket = #stream_socket_client(
$sURL,
$nError,
$sError,
$this->_nConnectTimeout,
STREAM_CLIENT_CONNECT|STREAM_CLIENT_PERSISTENT,
$streamContext);
instead of original listed there
now you can use *.pem certificates without need of entrust_root_certification_authority.
This worked fine for me.

Answer 3

This is the way I have done it finally
Downloaded apns-php
PHP Code
set_time_limit(0);
$root_path = "add your root path here";
require_once($root_path."webroot\cron\library\config.php");
require_once($root_path."Vendor\ApnsPHP\Autoload.php");
global $obj_basic;
// Basic settings
$timezone = new DateTimeZone('America/New_York');
$date = new DateTime();
$date->setTimezone($timezone);
$time = $date->format('H:i:s');
//Get notifications data to send push notifications
$queueQuery = " SELECT `notifications`.*, `messages`.`mes_message`, `messages`.`user_id`, `messages`.`mes_originated_from` FROM `notifications`
INNER JOIN `messages`
ON `notifications`.`message_id` = `messages`.`mes_id`
WHERE `notifications`.`created` <= NOW()";
$queueData = $obj_basic->get_query_data($queueQuery);
if(!empty($queueData)) {
// Put your private key's passphrase here:
$passphrase = 'Push';
$ctx = stream_context_create();
stream_context_set_option($ctx, 'ssl', 'local_cert', 'server_certificates_bundle_sandbox.pem');
stream_context_set_option($ctx, 'ssl', 'passphrase', $passphrase);
// Open a connection to the APNS server
$fp = stream_socket_client(
'ssl://gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195', $err,
$errstr, 60, STREAM_CLIENT_CONNECT|STREAM_CLIENT_PERSISTENT, $ctx);
if (!$fp)
exit("Failed to connect: $err $errstr" . PHP_EOL);
echo '<br>'.date("Y-m-d H:i:s").' Connected to APNS' . PHP_EOL;
foreach($queueData as $val) {
// Put your device token here (without spaces):
$deviceToken = $val['device_token'];
// Create message
// Get senders name
$sql = "SELECT `name` FROM `users` WHERE id =".$val['user_id'];
$name = $obj_basic->get_query_data($sql);
$name = $name[0]['name'];
$message = $name." : ";
// Get total unread messaged for receiver
$query = "SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM `messages` WHERE mes_parent = 0 AND user_id = ".$val['user_id']." AND mes_readstatus_doc != 0 AND mes_status = 1";
$totalUnread = $obj_basic->get_query_data($query);
$totalUnread = $totalUnread[0]['count'];
$message .= " This is a test message.";
// Create the payload body
$body['aps'] = array(
'alert' => $message,
'badge' => $totalUnread,
'sound' => 'default'
);
// Encode the payload as JSON
$payload = json_encode($body);
// Build the binary notification
$msg = chr(0) . pack('n', 32) . pack('H*', $deviceToken) . pack('n', strlen($payload)) . $payload;
// Send it to the server
$result = fwrite($fp, $msg, strlen($msg));
if (!$result) {
echo '<br>'.date("Y-m-d H:i:s").' Message not delivered' . PHP_EOL;
} else {
$sqlDelete = "DELETE FROM `notifications` WHERE id = ".$val['id'];
$query_delete = $obj_basic->run_query($sqlDelete,'DELETE');
echo '<br>'.date("Y-m-d H:i:s").' Message successfully delivered' . PHP_EOL;
}
}
// Close the connection to the server
fclose($fp);
echo '<br>'.date("Y-m-d H:i:s").' Connection closed to APNS' . PHP_EOL;
} else {
echo '<br>'.date("Y-m-d H:i:s").' Queue is empty!';
}