---
product: Chilkat
product_version: 11.7.0
language: phpx
language_label: PHP ActiveX
class: Task
license: bundle
deprecated: false
reference_html: https://www.chilkatsoft.com/refdoc/phpTaskRef.html
---
# Chilkat Task — PHP ActiveX — v11.7.0

> Chilkat 11.7.0 · language=phpx · class=Task
> Other versions: replace `11.7.0` in this URL. Other languages: `https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/<lang>/classes/Task.md`.
> Language-wide rules (install, unlock, error model, strings/bytes): `https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/phpx/guide.md`.

## Purpose

**Run, monitor, wait for, cancel, and retrieve results from asynchronous Chilkat operations.**

`Chilkat.Task` represents an asynchronous Chilkat method call. A task is typically returned by a Chilkat method whose name ends in `Async`. The task can be started, queued, monitored, waited on, canceled, and queried for its final result, including success status, error text, progress information, percent-done values, and typed return values such as strings, integers, booleans, or byte data.

**Async method results**

Receive a `Task` from Chilkat methods ending in `Async` and use it to control or observe the operation.

**Run or wait**

Start a task, run it synchronously when needed, wait for completion, or poll its status from application code.

**Status and progress**

Inspect whether the task is live, finished, inert, canceled, or failed, and monitor percent-done and progress log information.

**Cancel operations**

Request cancellation of a running task when the application needs to stop a long-running network, file, or cryptographic operation.

**Retrieve typed results**

After completion, retrieve the result as a boolean, integer, string, byte data, or other supported result form depending on the async method.

**Diagnostics**

Use `TaskSuccess`, `ResultErrorText`, `Status`, and `LastErrorText` to diagnose task execution and result-handling problems.

**Common pattern:** Call a Chilkat method ending in `Async`, start the returned `Task` with `Run`, optionally monitor status and progress, wait for completion, check `TaskSuccess`, then retrieve the final value using the result method that matches the original async operation. Use `Task` for one asynchronous operation; use `Chilkat.TaskChain` when multiple tasks should run in sequence.

For an extended overview, see [Task Class Overview](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/task_class_overview.asp).

## Object creation, unlocking and error handling

**Object Creation**

```php
Chilkat v10.0.0 or greater:
$obj = new COM("Chilkat.Task");
Chilkat v9.5.0.*:
$obj = new COM("Chilkat_9_5_0.Task");
```

Call `Global.UnlockBundle` once at the start of the program, before using this or any other Chilkat class. Any string unlocks a fully functional 30-day trial; a purchased unlock code is used in production. See `guide.md` for the exact code in PHP ActiveX.

How failure is reported depends on the method's return type and is stated in the note under each method below. In every case the diagnostic text is in the `LastErrorText` property of the object whose method was called.

## Members common to every Chilkat class

Documented once per language in `common-members.md`; listed here so this page is self-contained.

| Property | Signature | Access | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| `DebugLogFilePath` | `string DebugLogFilePath` | read/write | If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. |
| `LastBinaryResult` | `VARIANT LastBinaryResult (read-only)` | read-only | This property is mainly used in SQL Server stored procedures to retrieve binary data from the last method call that returned binary data. |
| `LastErrorHtml` | `string LastErrorHtml (read-only)` | read-only | Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. |
| `LastErrorText` | `string LastErrorText (read-only)` | read-only | Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. |
| `LastErrorXml` | `string LastErrorXml (read-only)` | read-only | Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. |
| `LastMethodSuccess` | `bool LastMethodSuccess` | read/write | Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: `true` means success, `false` means failure. |
| `LastStringResult` | `string LastStringResult (read-only)` | read-only | In SQL Server stored procedures, this property holds the string return value of the most recent method call that returns a string. |
| `LastStringResultLen` | `int LastStringResultLen (read-only)` | read-only | The length, in characters, of the string contained in the LastStringResult property. |
| `VerboseLogging` | `bool VerboseLogging` | read/write | If set to `true`, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. |
| `Version` | `string Version (read-only)` | read-only | Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0" |

## Member index

| Member | Kind | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| `Finished` | property, read-only | `bool Finished (read-only)` |
| `Inert` | property, read-only | `bool Inert (read-only)` |
| `KeepProgressLog` | property, read/write | `bool KeepProgressLog` |
| `Live` | property, read-only | `bool Live (read-only)` |
| `PercentDone` | property, read-only | `int PercentDone (read-only)` |
| `ProgressLogSize` | property, read-only | `int ProgressLogSize (read-only)` |
| `ResultErrorText` | property, read-only | `string ResultErrorText (read-only)` |
| `ResultType` | property, read-only | `string ResultType (read-only)` |
| `Status` | property, read-only | `string Status (read-only)` |
| `StatusInt` | property, read-only | `int StatusInt (read-only)` |
| `TaskId` | property, read-only | `int TaskId (read-only)` |
| `TaskSuccess` | property, read-only | `bool TaskSuccess (read-only)` |
| `UserData` | property, read/write | `string UserData` |
| `Cancel` | method | `bool Cancel()` |
| `ClearProgressLog` | method | `void ClearProgressLog()` |
| `CopyResultBytes` | method | `VARIANT CopyResultBytes()` |
| `GetResultBool` | method | `bool GetResultBool()` |
| `GetResultBytes` | method | `VARIANT GetResultBytes()` |
| `GetResultInt` | method | `int GetResultInt()` |
| `GetResultString` | method | `string GetResultString()` |
| `ProgressInfoName` | method | `string ProgressInfoName(int index)` |
| `ProgressInfoValue` | method | `string ProgressInfoValue(int index)` |
| `RemoveProgressInfo` | method | `void RemoveProgressInfo(int index)` |
| `Run` | method | `bool Run()` |
| `RunSynchronously` | method | `bool RunSynchronously()` |
| `SleepMs` | method | `void SleepMs(int numMs)` |
| `Wait` | method | `bool Wait(int maxWaitMs)` |

## Properties

### Task.Finished

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · Finished · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool Finished (read-only)
```

`true` if the task status is `canceled`, `aborted`, or `completed`. A task can only reach the `canceled` status if it was activated via the Run method, made it onto the internal thread pool thread's queue, was waiting for a pool thread to become available, and was then canceled prior to the task actually starting.

### Task.Inert

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · Inert · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool Inert (read-only)
```

`true` if the task status is `empty` or `loaded`. When a task is inert, it has been loaded but is not scheduled to run yet.

### Task.KeepProgressLog

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · KeepProgressLog · property · read/write · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool KeepProgressLog
```

Determines if the in-memory progress info event log is kept. The default value is `false` and therefore no log is kept. To enable progress info logging, set this property equal to `true` (prior to running the task).

### Task.Live

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · Live · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool Live (read-only)
```

`true` if the task status is `queued` or `running`. When a task is live, it is either already running, or is on the thread pool thread's queue waiting for a thread to become available.

### Task.PercentDone

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · PercentDone · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
int PercentDone (read-only)
```

Indicates the percent completion while the task is running. The percent completed information is only available in cases where it is possible to know the percentage completed. For some methods, it is never possible to know, such as for methods that establish TCP or TLS connections. For other methods it is always possible to know -- such as for sending email (because the size of the email to be sent is already known). For some methods, it may or may not be possible to know the percent completed. For example, if an HTTP response is `chunked`, there is no Content-Length header and therefore the receiver has no knowledge of the size of the forthcoming response body.

Also, the value of the PercentDoneScale property of the asynchronous method's object determines the scale, such as 0 to 100, or 0 to 1000, etc.

### Task.ProgressLogSize

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · ProgressLogSize · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
int ProgressLogSize (read-only)
```

What would normally be a ProgressInfo event callback (assuming Chilkat supports event callbacks for this language) is instead saved to an in-memory progress log that can be examined and pruned while the task is still running. This property returns the number of progress log entries that are currently available. (Note: the progress log is only kept if the KeepProgressLog property is turned on. By default, the KeepProgressLog is turned off.)

### Task.ResultErrorText

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · ResultErrorText · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
string ResultErrorText (read-only)
```

The LastErrorText for the task's asynchronous method.

### Task.ResultType

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · ResultType · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
string ResultType (read-only)
```

Indicates the data type of the task's result. This property is only available after the task has completed. Possible values are `bool`, `int`, `string`, `bytes`, `object`, and `void`. For example, if the result data type is `bool`, then call GetResultBool to get the boolean result of the underlying asynchronous method.

For example, if the synchronous version of the method returned a boolean, then in the asynchronous version of the method, the boolean return value is made available via the GetResultBool method.

### Task.Status

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · Status · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
string Status (read-only)
```

The current status of the task. Possible values are:

- `empty` -- The method call and arguments are not yet loaded into the task object. This can only happen if a task was explicitly created instead of being returned by a method ending in `Async`.
- `loaded` -- The method call and arguments are loaded into the task object.
- `queued` -- The task is in the thread pool's queue of tasks awaiting to be run.
- `running` -- The task is currently running.
- `canceled` -- The task was canceled before it entered the `running` state.
- `aborted` -- The task was canceled while it was in the running state.
- `completed` -- The task completed. The success or failure depends on the semantics of the method call and the value of the result.

### Task.StatusInt

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · StatusInt · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
int StatusInt (read-only)
```

The current status of the task as an integer value. Possible values are:

- **1** -- The method call and arguments are not yet loaded into the task object. This can only happen if a task was explicitly created instead of being returned by a method ending in `Async`.
- **2** -- The method call and arguments are loaded into the task object.
- **3** -- The task is in the thread pool's queue of tasks awaiting to be run.
- **4** -- The task is currently running.
- **5** -- The task was canceled before it entered the `running` state.
- **6** -- The task was canceled while it was in the running state.
- **7** -- The task completed. The success or failure depends on the semantics of the method call and the value of the result.

### Task.TaskId

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · TaskId · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
int TaskId (read-only)
```

A unique integer ID assigned to this task. The purpose of this property is to help an application identify the task if a TaskCompleted event callback is used.

### Task.TaskSuccess

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · TaskSuccess · property · read-only · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool TaskSuccess (read-only)
```

This is the value of the LastMethodSuccess property of the underlying task object. This property is only valid for those methods where the LastMethodSuccess property would be valid had the method been called synchronously.

**Important:** This property is only meaningful for cases where the underlying method call has a non-boolean return value (such as for methods that return strings, other Chilkat objects, or integers). If the underlying method call returns a boolean, then call the GetResultBool() method instead to get the boolean return value.

### Task.UserData

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · UserData · property · read/write · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
string UserData
```

An application may use this property to attach some user-specific information with the task, which may be useful if a TaskCompleted event callback is used.

## Methods

### Task.Cancel

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · Cancel · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool Cancel()
```

Marks an asynchronous task for cancellation. The expected behavior depends on the current status of the task as described here:

- **`loaded`** - If the task has been loaded but has not yet been queued to run in the thread pool, then there is nothing to do. (There is nothing to cancel because the task's Run method has not yet been called.) The task will remain in the `loaded` state.
- **`queued`** - The task is marked for cancellation, is dequeued, and will not run. The task's status changes immediately to `canceled`.
- **`running`** - The already-running task is marked for cancellation. The task's status will **eventually** change to `aborted` when the asynchronous method returns. At that point in time, the ResultErrorText property will contain the `LastErrorText` of the method call. In the case where a task is marked for cancellation just at the time it's completing, the task status may instead change to `completed`.
- **`canceled`, `aborted`, `completed`** - In these cases the task has already finished, and there will be no change in status.

Cancel returns `true` if the task was in the `queued` or `running` state when it was marked for cancellation. Cancel returns `false` if the task was in any other state.

**Important:** Calling the Cancel method marks a task for cancellation. It sets a flag in memory that the running task will soon notice and then abort. It is important to realize that your application is likely calling Cancel from the main UI thread, whereas the asynchronous task is running in a background thread. If the task was in the `running` state when Cancel was called, it will still be in the `running` state when Cancel returns. It will take a short amount of time until the task actually aborts. This is because operating systems schedule threads in time slices, and the thread needs one or more time slices to notice the cancellation flag and abort. After calling Cancel, your application might wish to call the Wait method to wait until the task has actually aborted, or it could periodically check the task's status and then react once the status changes to `aborted`.

### Task.ClearProgressLog

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · ClearProgressLog · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
void ClearProgressLog()
```

Removes all entries from the progress info log.

### Task.CopyResultBytes

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · CopyResultBytes · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
VARIANT CopyResultBytes()
```

Returns the binary bytes result of the task. The bytes are copied to the caller.

Returns `null` on failure

### Task.GetResultBool

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · GetResultBool · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool GetResultBool()
```

Returns the boolean result of the task.

### Task.GetResultBytes

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · GetResultBytes · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
VARIANT GetResultBytes()
```

Returns the binary bytes result of the task. The bytes are transferred to the caller, not copied. Call CopyResultBytes instead to copy the result bytes.

Returns `null` on failure

### Task.GetResultInt

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · GetResultInt · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
int GetResultInt()
```

Returns the integer result of the task.

### Task.GetResultString

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · GetResultString · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
string GetResultString()
```

Returns the string result of the task.

Returns `null` on failure

### Task.ProgressInfoName

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · ProgressInfoName · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
string ProgressInfoName(int index)
```

Returns the name of the Nth progress info event logged. The 1st entry is at index 0.

Returns `null` on failure

### Task.ProgressInfoValue

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · ProgressInfoValue · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
string ProgressInfoValue(int index)
```

Returns the value of the Nth progress info event logged. The 1st entry is at index 0.

Returns `null` on failure

### Task.RemoveProgressInfo

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · RemoveProgressInfo · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
void RemoveProgressInfo(int index)
```

Removes the Nth progress info log entry.

### Task.Run

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · Run · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool Run()
```

Queues the task to run on the internal Chilkat thread pool.

Returns true for success, false for failure.

### Task.RunSynchronously

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · RunSynchronously · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool RunSynchronously()
```

Runs the task synchronously. Then this method returns after the task has been run.

Returns true for success, false for failure.

### Task.SleepMs

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · SleepMs · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
void SleepMs(int numMs)
```

Convenience method to force the calling thread to sleep for a number of milliseconds. (This does not cause the task's background thread to sleep.)

### Task.Wait

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · phpx · Task · Wait · method · since 9.5.0.52`

```php
bool Wait(int maxWaitMs)
```

Waits for the task to complete. Returns when task has completed, or after `maxWaitMs` milliseconds have elapsed. (A `maxWaitMs` value of 0 is to wait indefinitely.) Returns (`false`) if the task has not yet been started by calling the Run method, or if the `maxWaitMs` expired. If the task completed, was already completed, was canceled or aborted, then this method returns `true`.

Returns true for success, false for failure.

## Events and callbacks

This binding has no event callbacks.