# MongoDB::execute

(PECL mongo >=0.9.3)

MongoDB::execute — Runs JavaScript code on the database server [deprecated]

### Description

public MongoDB::execute ( mixed `$code` [, array `$args` = array() ] ) : array
Warning

The » eval command, which this method invokes, is deprecated in MongoDB 3.0+.

The Mongo database server runs a JavaScript engine. This method allows you to run arbitary JavaScript on the database. This can be useful if you want touch a number of collections lightly, or process some results on the database side to reduce the amount that has to be sent to the client.

Running JavaScript in the database takes a write lock, meaning it blocks other operations. Make sure you consider this before running a long script.

This is a wrapper for the » eval database command. This method is basically:

`<?php
public function execute($code, $args) {
return $this->command(array('eval' => $code, 'args' => $args));
}
?>`

MongoDB implies a return statement if you have a single statement on a single line. This can cause some unintuitive behavior. For example, this returns "foo":

`<?php
$db->execute('"foo";');
?>`

However, these return `NULL`:

`<?php
$db->execute('"bar"; "foo";'); // more than one statement
$db->execute('db.foo.count(
);'); // more than one line
?>`

To avoid surprising behavior, it is best not to depend on MongoDB to decide what to return, but to explicitly state a return value. In the examples above, we can change them to:

`<?php
$db->execute('"bar"; return "foo";');
$db->execute('return db.foo.count(
);');
?>`

Now the first statement will return "foo" and the second statement will return a count of the "foo" collection.

### Parameters

`code`

  MongoCode or string to execute.

`args`

  Arguments to be passed to `code`.

### Return Values

Returns the result of the evaluation.

### Examples

Example #1 Simple MongoDB::execute() example

`<?php
$response = $db->execute("function() { return 'Hello, world!'; }");
echo $response['retval'];
?>`

The above example will output something similar to:

Hello, world!

Example #2 Parameter MongoDB::execute() example

The optional array of parameters will be passed to the JavaScript function.

`<?php
$response = $db->execute("function(greeting, name) { return greeting+', '+name+'!'; }", array("Good bye", "Joe"));
echo $response['retval'];
?>`

The above example will output something similar to:

Good bye, Joe!

Example #3 Scope example

If a MongoCode object is used instead of a string for the first parameter, a scope can be passed in which the JavaScript will be executed.

`<?php
$func =
"function(greeting, name) { ".
"return greeting+', '+name+', says '+greeter;".
"}";
$scope = array("greeter" => "Fred");
$code = new MongoCode($func, $scope);
$response = $db->execute($code, array("Goodbye", "Joe"));
echo $response['retval'];
?>`

The above example will output something similar to:

Goodbye, Joe, says Fred

### See Also

- The MongoDB » eval command docs

### Changelog

Version | Description
--- | ---
PECL mongo 1.7.0 | This method has been deprecated as a result of the underlaying » eval command being deprecated in MongoDB 3.0+.