Run yii command in web process

Module.php

@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ class Module extends \yii\base\Module
      */
     public $yiiScript = '@app/yii';
 
+    /**
+     * @var string path to the yii console app configuration file
+     * used to run the yii command in the same process as the web application's
+     * if so chosen.
+     */
+    public $consoleConfig = '@app/config/console.php';
+
     /**
      * @var array the list of IPs that are allowed to access this module.
      * Each array element represents a single IP filter which can be either an IP address

controllers/DefaultController.php

@@ -50,11 +50,71 @@ public function actionRpc()
 
         switch ($options['method']) {
             case 'yii':
-                list ($status, $output) = $this->runConsole(implode(' ', $options['params']));
-                return ['result' => $output];
+                $exitCode = 1;
+                $output = null;
+                $params = explode(' ', $options['params']);
+
+                if (!empty($params) and in_array($params[0], ['-wp', '--runInWebProcess'])) {
+                    array_shift($params); // remove runInWebProcess option parameter
+
+                    // mimicking yii command behaviour
+                    // just typing 'yii' in console defaults to 'yii help'
+                    if (empty($params)) 
+                        $params[] = 'help';
+
+                    list($exitCode, $output) = $this->runYiiConsoleCommandsInWebProcess($params);
+                }
+                else
+                    list ($exitCode, $output) = $this->runConsole(implode(' ', $params));
+
+                return [
+                    'exitCode' => $exitCode,
+                    'output' => $output
+                ];
         }
     }
 
+    // popen might be disabled for security reasons in the php.ini.
+    // this is common on shared hosting.
+    // read http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-unix-apache-lighttpd-phpini-disable-functions/
+    // refer to http://php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php#ini.disable-functions
+    private function runYiiConsoleCommandsInWebProcess(array $requestParams)
+    {
+        // remember current web app
+        // inspired by https://github.com/tebazil/yii2-console-runner/blob/master/src/ConsoleCommandRunner.php
+        $webApp = Yii::$app;
+
+        try {
+            //use console request to resolve command and arguments
+            $request = new \yii\console\Request;
+            $request->setParams($requestParams);
+            list ($route, $params) = $request->resolve();
+
+            /*  redefine STDOUT and STDERR streams
+                to write to the memory stream which is readable.
+                this might cause a PHP Notice because of global constant
+                redefinition if they're previously defined or this method
+                is called mor than once per HTTP request. */
+            define('STDOUT', fopen('php://memory', 'w+'));
+            define('STDERR', STDOUT);
+            ob_start(); // aditionally buffer output, echo() and printf() write to this
+            // set app context
+            Yii::$app = new \yii\console\Application(require(Yii::getAlias($this->module->consoleConfig)));
+            $exitCode = Yii::$app->runAction($route, $params);
+            rewind(STDOUT);
+            $output = stream_get_contents(STDOUT); // whatever has been written to STDOUT and STDERR
+            $output .= ob_get_clean(); // and what has been echoed and printed
+            fclose(STDOUT);
+        }
+        catch (\Exception $ex) {
+            $output = $webApp->errorHandler->convertExceptionToString($ex);
+            $exitCode = 1;
+        }
+
+        Yii::$app = $webApp; // revert to web app context
+        return [$exitCode, $output];
+    }
+
     /**
      * Runs console command
      *

views/default/index.php

@@ -18,17 +18,21 @@
     webshell.terminal(
         function(command, term) {
             if (command.indexOf('yii') === 0 || command.indexOf('yii') === 3) {
-                    $.jrpc('{$endpoint}', 'yii', [command.replace(/^yii ?/, '')], function(json) {
-                        term.echo(json.result);
+                    $.jrpc('{$endpoint}', 'yii', command.replace(/^yii ?/, ''), function(json) {
+                        term.echo(json.output);
                         scrollDown();
                     });
             } else if (command === 'help') {
                 term.echo('Available commands are:');
                 term.echo('');
-                term.echo("clear\tClear console");
-                term.echo('help\tThis help text');
-                term.echo('yii\tyii command');
-                term.echo('quit\tQuit web shell');
+                term.echo('help\t This help text');
+                term.echo('clear\tClear console');
+                term.echo('quit\t Quit web shell');
+                term.echo('yii [-wp|--runInWebProcess] <command>');
+                term.echo('\tcommand \t\t\t\t A yii console command. Type "yii help" to list available commands.');
+                term.echo('\t-wp|--runInWebProcess\tRun command in the web application process.');
+                term.echo('\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Does not require creating a background process via "popen",');
+                term.echo('\t\t\t\t\t\t\t a function which might be disabled in your PHP config.');
                 scrollDown();
             } else if (command === 'quit') {
                 var exitUrl = '{$quitUrl}';