domain availability searching feature

domain searching

[phparion]

Hi

I want to add a Domain Availability feature to my website so that my users can check if the domain name is available for registration or not.

I am not sure if there is any PHP method for this? like to send a query to some database and getting resutls. Or I can use some third party tool on my website too?

thank you

[coopster]

To the best of my knowledge there is no PHP function for this, however you can write your own process by executing a system command or two and extracting that information you want to display.

[phparion]

what kind of system commands?

[jatar_k]

you should look for registrars that may have have an API for this

[coopster]

what kind of system commands?

Search for whois and friends.

[phparion]

I didn't find any FRIENDS command. the linux whois command doesn't seem to be the right solution because many registrars hide the data e.g dreamhost they do not display the registrant information...

any other suggestion e.g any registrar who offers any API etc?

thank you

[coopster]

Sorry for the confusion, I meant friends as "related commands" not an actual command named "friends"

whois, nslookup, host, dig are commands that may be of interest