Divengine PHP Function Node for Node-RED

Run PHP functions inside Node-RED flows

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Node-RED is a powerful low-code tool for automating tasks and connecting systems.
By default, all custom logic is written in JavaScript — but what if you prefer PHP?
This node lets you write and run PHP code instead of JavaScript inside your flows.

⚠️ Experimental: This is an experimental project.
It’s not production-ready. Use at your own risk — and if your boss asks, you didn’t hear it from us!

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✨ Features

✅ Write Node-RED function logic in PHP
✅ Receives the msg object as an associative PHP array ($msg)
✅ Return a new $msg or null to drop the message
✅ Supports multiple outputs, just like the standard Function node
✅ Logging and error handling are integrated

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📦 Installation

Prerequisite:
Make sure php is installed and available in your system’s PATH.
This node uses PHP in CLI mode.

Install globally with npm:

npm install -g node-red-contrib-php-function

Restart Node-RED, and the node will appear under the “Function” category.

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⚙️ How to Use

This works just like the standard Function node:
You write PHP code that processes msg and returns a new one.

📌 Example

Multiply msg["payload"] by 2:

return ["payload" => $msg["payload"] * 2];

Input: { "payload": 5 }
Output: { "payload": 10 }

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🐞 Logging & Errors

Use these functions for debugging:

node.log("Something happened");
node.warn("This might be important");
node.error("Something went wrong!");

To trigger a Catch node, pass $msg as a second parameter:

node.error("Oops!", $msg);

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🔀 Multiple Outputs

Return an array of messages, one per output.

Example:

return [
  ["payload" => "First output"],
  ["payload" => "Second output"]
];

Outputs can be null to skip.

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⚡ Limitations

🚧 This project is experimental. Please keep in mind:

• JSON only: Only JSON-serializable values are supported.
• One at a time: PHP runs synchronously. Each message is processed in order.
• No sandbox: Your PHP code runs without security restrictions. Never run untrusted code!
• Concurrency: If multiple messages arrive at once, performance may be impacted.

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🧩 Why PHP?

Some teams have legacy PHP systems or developers who prefer PHP syntax.
This node provides a bridge without rewriting everything in JavaScript.

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome issues, ideas and PRs!
If you’d like to help improve the node, please:

• 🐛 Open an Issue
• 🔀 Submit a Pull Request
• ⭐ Star the repo if you find it useful!

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📜 License

This project is open source, released under the MIT License.
See LICENSE for details.