Basic PHP Programming

Email forms.

editor — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:41:54 +0000

php scripting is not a limited deal. It can create wonderful and secure pages (much more secure than HTML), and so webmasters prefer using it when it comes to online transactions. But aside from making a certain page of your website secure, php can also do lots of things. In fact, you can also make an email sender and put it on your website. You can use it and send personal or business related emails, without using the usual web-based clients people use. Limesoftware has a step by step tutorial on how you can make an email client on your website. What’s more is that you can even make a feedback form so that people can just leave you messages on your website. This can be very beneficial if you have an online business.

Photo taken from http://www.websiteuserguide.com

On restricting some users.

editor — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:31:50 +0000

There are some website owners who wish to restrict the access of their webpage to certain individuals or groups. It is inconceivable since every website owner’s dream is for him or her to have more traffic. Perhaps because some spammers have infiltrated their website, or maybe they have personal reasons. Nevertheless, there is actually a way to restrict the access of a certain user/s to the website or a certain page in a website. Captcha is being used by most webmasters in preventing spammers to send and send information in their website, however, here is the trick to totally ban them from entering your site. The key? IP addresses. Yes, this number sequence means a lot. You can find the coding here for your reference.

Photo taken from http://www.css-design-yorkshire.com

PHP and your files

Bart — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:33:49 +0000

PHP is like a secretary.

I�m really liking these analogies I�m using (yeah, I�m weird that way). Anyway, as I was saying� PHP has the ability to interact with your file system. It means that PHP can write and reads into any file in your directories and files that are on your local hard disk (or other computers if they�re in a network). Aside from that, if a file doesn�t exist, PHP can create that file, directories, and copy files. It can also rename and/or delete files and change their attributes. If you want to create a back-up then PHP can do it for you.

PHP Optimized For Windows Server 2008

Bart — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:47:35 +0000

W00t! PHP specialists from Zend Technologies confirm that the Zend Core, which is a commercially supported form of PHP, can now run on Windows Server 2008. According to the statement, Zend Core has recently been certified as such by by Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT).

Good news is that PHP by Zend is able to support CardSpace. This also means that the Mambo Web site content management system and even the WordPress blog publishing system can now be hosted by Windows and Linux servers.

SOURCE: Businesswire

Keeping it Clean

Bart — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:39:45 +0000

Many experts say it again and again, to keep your pages consistent so your users do get the feel of professionalism and hard work that was placed into making your page. With the web and design becoming easier and easier it tends to slip the people making them that consistency is one of the factors that makes a web page great and one that is sure to keep users coming back.

Inconsistent design makes pages look gaudy and sways possible re-visits from happening. With the incursion of social media and other web components such as widgets that clutter up the place it makes for one messy page indeed. Keep it clean and organized, besides you end up having to weave through the clutter in the event of problems as you try to fix them.

Taming Widgets

Bart — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:34:19 +0000

Widgets are a good way of getting a page to earn a buck whenever people click on them but with thousands of them around, throwing a couple of hundred on your sidebars will make for a very slow page. Widgets as designed are not supposed to take up too much processing speed out of a page but like all the elements of a page, too much of a good thing can be bad for your health, your page’s health that is.

Keep things clean and neat and you could do that with proper cycling of widgets should you need to place a lot of them on your page. Remember, a page that’s well thought of and laid out is better than a cluttered one.

SQL Injections

Bart — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:45:08 +0000

A SQL injection is a form of security vulnerability that will let a hacker get into the database through the use of vulnerability that he finds in your code. There are many PHP programs that employ MySQL databases as a part of the whole program. By knowing what things can bring a level of vulnerability in your program you can make the proper plans on what to avoid and how to make the whole code more secure.
There is a useful SQL injection cheat sheet available online that contains a section where the vulnerabilities of the PHP and MySQL are listed. You can use this cheat sheet to see if you’re breaking anything, which will help in creating a more secure code.

Need Development Help?

Bart — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 10:54:34 +0000

Then you could try Hyperpolyglot.org, a place where most development pages are represented side by side giving you an idea of how they work. One of the most common problems with web development is that some pages are developed using different languages. The site caters to developers who need information on how to best get all these development platforms to work together with samples and a forum where you could send in questions and get answers from developers like yourself.
Opens as a reference page that more or less presents most development languages and their kin. Describing similarities as well as differences making for one brief and concise development reference page.

PHP & MySQL for Dummies

Bart — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 05:52:17 +0000

Research and Markets, in Ireland has recently stated that it would be launching its latest offering of desk references. The “PHP & MySQL Web Development All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies” can be considered a valuable part of resources for webmasters and programmers who wish to learn more about the two popular open-source databases-PHP and MySQL. The reference is said to be composed of six mini books and will feature easy and understandable tutorials for beginners – which would endear the collection to well, PHP and mySQL dummies!

SOURCE: Businesswire

Is PHP a Good Choice for a Freelance Programmer?

Bart — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:24:15 +0000

Freelance programming is becoming more and more popular, and many people are trying to find the language that suits them best in order to get into the market as soon as possible. PHP is easily one of the most popular languages in that department, and the number of people writing PHP programs as freelancers can be quite inspiring. However, if you’ve got no experience in it, can it make the right choice for your freelance ventures?

The truth is, PHP is a double-edged knife when it comes to newcomers, though its positives tend to outweigh the negatives. It’s easy to get into and learn the basics, but also leaves a lot to be explored and perfected, creating plenty of opportunities for building your skills. However, perhaps the most important thing to consider about PHP is the database interaction – as a freelance programmer offering PHP services, you should be well-acquainted with at least one major database suite, and this creates additional things to learn and master, which can easily make the whole job more daunting.

Then there’s the whole issue with security – something which really deserves its own note, but it’s sufficient to say that any freelance PHP programmer worth their salt must have top notch security in their websites, and it’s one of the points where newbies fail most often. Security in Internet applications is a whole philosophy in itself, and you’ll have to dedicate a lot of time to learning that as well – so take this into consideration too.