# Process Control

> Symcon documentation · English · generated on 2026-09-26  
> Index: https://www.symcon.de/en/llms.txt

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/

## IPS_Execute

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-execute/

`bool IPS_Execute(string $ProgramPath, string $Parameter, bool $Dummy, bool $Wait)`

Starts an external program

**Parameters**

- `$ProgramPath` (string): Full path to the program
- `$Parameter` (string): Parameter which is to be passed to the program (optional)
- `$Dummy` (bool): Always specify true, parameter is not evaluated, this was only used in version 1.x.
- `$Wait` (bool): Specifies whether to wait for the end of the program

**Returns** (bool): The return value of stderr/stdout if the __Wait__ parameter is True, otherwise the return is an empty string.

Specifies whether to wait for the end of the program

**Example**

```php
//Start a batch file
IPS_Execute("C:/autoexec.bat", "", false, false);
```

## IPS_ExecuteEx

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-executeex/

`string IPS_ExecuteEx(string $ProgramPath, string $Parameter, bool $ShowWindow, bool $Wait, int $SessionID)`

Starts an external program in the user context

**Parameters**

- `$ProgramPath` (string): Full path to the program
- `$Parameter` (string): Parameter which is to be passed to the program (optional)
- `$ShowWindow` (bool): __True__ if the window should be displayed; __False__ if the window should not be visible
- `$Wait` (bool): Specifies whether to wait for the end of the program
- `$SessionID` (int): The user session ID, which is to be used (from Under XP from 0, 2003/Vista 1)

**Returns** (string): Empty string

The user session ID, which is to be used (from Under XP from 0, 2003/Vista 1)

**Example**

```php
//Notepad started
IPS_ExecuteEx("notepad", "", false, false, 0);
```

## IPS_RunAction

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runaction/

`bool IPS_RunAction(string $ActionID, array $ActionParameters)`

executes a single action

**Parameters**

- `$ActionID` (string): GUID of the executed action
- `$ActionParameters` (array): List of Parameters for the executed action

**Returns** (bool): If the command succeeds, it returns __TRUE__, otherwise __FALSE__.

List of Parameters for the executed action

**Example**

```php
// Execute Script with the ID 12345
IPS_RunAction("{7938A5A2-0981-5FE0-BE6C-8AA610D654EB}", ["TARGET" => 12345, "ENVIRONMENT" => "Default", "PARENT" => $_IPS['SELF']]);

// Show all actions and their GUIDs
foreach(json_decode(IPS_GetActions(), true) as $action) {
    echo $action['id'] . " -> " . $action['caption'] . PHP_EOL;
    // var_dump($action); <-- Shows more details, for example: restrictions
}
```

## IPS_RunActionWait

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runactionwait/

`string IPS_RunActionWait(string $ActionID, array $ActionParameters)`

executes a single action and waits for the result

**Parameters**

- `$ActionID` (string): ID of the executed action
- `$ActionParameters` (array): List of Parameters for the executed action

**Returns** (string): Error message of the execution

List of Parameters for the executed action

**Example**

```php
// Execute the script with the ID 12345
$error = IPS_RunActionWait("{7938A5A2-0981-5FE0-BE6C-8AA610D654EB}", ["TARGET" => 12345, "ENVIRONMENT" => "Default", "PARENT" => $_IPS['SELF']]);
if ($error === "") {
  echo "Action was executed succesfully";
}
else {
  echo "There was an error during execution: " . $error;
}
```

## IPS_RunScript

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscript/

`bool IPS_RunScript(int $ScriptID)`

starts another IP-Symcon script

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptID` (int): Unique ID of the script

**Returns** (bool): If the command succeeds, it returns __TRUE__, otherwise __FALSE__.

Unique ID of the script

**Example**

```php
IPS_RunScript(12345 /*[Garden lighting On]*/);
```

## IPS_RunScriptEx

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscriptex/

`bool IPS_RunScriptEx(int $ScriptID, array $Parameter)`

starts another IP-Symcon script and passes variables

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptID` (int): Unique ID of the script
- `$Parameter` (array): Key (string) => Value (variant) pair can be accessed in the newly executed script.

**Returns** (bool): If the command succeeds, it returns __TRUE__, otherwise __FALSE__.

Key (string) => Value (variant) pair can be accessed in the newly executed script.

**Example**

```php
//Script, that will launch another script with parameter passing.
IPS_RunScriptEx(12345 /*[Temp]*/, Array("Title" => "Temp.", "Tmin" => 10.0));

//Script that was called. Parameters are available as individual variables in the
//global variable $_IPS. The variable name corresponds to the array index
//given name.
$Headline = $_IPS['Title']. "progress"; //Results: Temp.progress
$MaxTemp = $Tmin + 30.0;
```

## IPS_RunScriptText

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscripttext/

`bool IPS_RunScriptText(string $ScriptText)`

starts text as IP-Symcon script

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptText` (string): String which is called as script.

**Returns** (bool): If the command succeeds, it returns __TRUE__, otherwise __FALSE__.

String which is called as script.

**Example**

```php
// Prints "Hello World" in the message view
IPS_RunScriptText("echo 'Hello World';");
```

## IPS_RunScriptTextEx

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscripttextex/

`bool IPS_RunScriptTextEx(string $ScriptText, array $Parameter)`

starts a text as IP-Symcon script and passes variables

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptText` (string): String that is executed as script
- `$Parameter` (array): Key (string) => Value (variant) Pairs that can be accessed in the executed script

**Returns** (bool): If the command succeeds, it returns __TRUE__, otherwise __FALSE__.

Key (string) => Value (variant) Pairs that can be accessed in the executed script

**Example**

```php
// Prints "Hello World" in the message view
IPS_RunScriptTextEx('echo $_IPS["start"] . " ".  $_IPS["end"];', Array("start" => "Hello", "end" => "World"));
```

## IPS_RunScriptTextWait

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscripttextwait/

`string IPS_RunScriptTextWait(string $ScriptText)`

starts a text as IP-Symcon script and waits for its execution

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptText` (string): String that is executed as script

**Returns** (string): Result of the executed script

String that is executed as script

**Example**

```php
// Prints "Hello World" in the message view
echo IPS_RunScriptTextWait("echo 'Hello World';");
```

## IPS_RunScriptTextWaitEx

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscripttextwaitex/

`string IPS_RunScriptTextWaitEx(string $ScriptText, array $Parameter)`

starts a text as IP-Symcon script, passes variables, and waits for the execution of the script

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptText` (string): String that is executed as script
- `$Parameter` (array): Key (string) => Value (variant) Pairs that can be accessed in the executed script

**Returns** (string): Result of the executed script

Key (string) => Value (variant) Pairs that can be accessed in the executed script

**Example**

```php
//Script that executes text as script and passes parameters
echo IPS_RunScriptTextWaitEx('echo $_IPS["title"]. "course" . PHP_EOL; echo $_IPS["Tmin"] + 30.0;', Array("title" => "Temp.", "Tmin" => 10.0));
```

## IPS_RunScriptWait

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscriptwait/

`string IPS_RunScriptWait(int $ScriptID)`

starts another IP-Symcon script and waits for the result

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptID` (int): Unique ID of the script

**Returns** (string): Result of current script

Unique ID of the script

**Example**

```php
echo IPS_RunScriptWait(12345 /*[Script A]*/);
```

## IPS_RunScriptWaitEx

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-runscriptwaitex/

`string IPS_RunScriptWaitEx(int $ScriptID, array $Parameter)`

starts another IP-Symcon script, passes variables, and waits for the result

**Parameters**

- `$ScriptID` (int): Unique ID of the script
- `$Parameter` (array): Key (string) => Value (variant) pair can be accessed in the newly executed script.

**Returns** (string): Result of current script

Key (string) => Value (variant) pair can be accessed in the newly executed script.

**Example**

```php
//Script, that will launch another script with parameter passing.
echo IPS_RunScriptWaitEx(12345 /*[Temp]*/, Array("Title" => "Temp.", "Tmin" => 10.0));

//Script that was called. Parameters are available as individual variables in the
//global variable $_IPS. The variable name corresponds to the array index
//given name.
$Headline = $_IPS['Title']. "progress"; //Results: Temp.progress
$MaxTemp = $Tmin + 30.0;
```

## IPS_SemaphoreEnter

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-semaphoreenter/

`bool IPS_SemaphoreEnter(string $Name, int $WaitingTime)`

allows the synchronization with other simultaneously run scripts

**Parameters**

- `$Name` (string): Name that describes the semaphore
- `$WaitingTime` (int): Milliseconds to wait until the command terminates

**Returns** (bool): __TRUE__ if the semaphore was entered. __FALSE__ if the semaphore before the expiration of the waiting period could not be accessed.

Milliseconds to wait until the command terminates

**Example**

```php
if (IPS_SemaphoreEnter("CriticalPoint", 1000))
{
    // ...Run critical Commands

    //Release semaphore again!
    IPS_SemaphoreLeave("CriticalPoint");
}
else
{
    // ...No execution possible. Another script uses the "CriticalPoint"
    // for more than 1 second, so our wait time is exceeded.
}
```

## IPS_SemaphoreLeave

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-semaphoreleave/

`bool IPS_SemaphoreLeave(string $Name)`

allows the synchronization with other simultaneously run scripts

**Parameters**

- `$Name` (string): Name that describes the semaphore.

**Returns** (bool): If the command succeeds, it returns __TRUE__, otherwise __FALSE__.

Name that describes the semaphore.

**Example**

```php
//See IPS_SemaphoreEnter()
```

## IPS_Sleep

Source: https://www.symcon.de/en/service/documentation/command-reference/process-control/ips-sleep/

`bool IPS_Sleep(int $WaitingTime)`

delays a script for a specified duration

**Parameters**

- `$WaitingTime` (int): Specifies the waiting time in milliseconds

**Returns** (bool): If the command succeeds, it returns __TRUE__, otherwise __FALSE__.

Specifies the waiting time in milliseconds

**Example**

```php
// Delayed data output to the COM port
    COMPort_SendText($id, chr(0x1b));    // Sent ESC to LC-Display
    IPS_Sleep(200);                      // Wait 200ms
    COMPort_SendText($id, "0");          // Delete LC-Display
    IPS_Sleep(200);                      // Wait 200ms
    COMPort_SendText($id, "Good day!"); // Return Text

// Wait 2 seconds with PHP alternatives
    sleep(2);
    IPS_Sleep(2000);
    usleep(2000000);
```