PHP
Making Your Form Fields POP
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Make your forms POP by using a little CSS and a little jQuery. A nice background animated effect, similar to what Wufoo does on their forms, all wrapped up and easy to use for anyone!
Reader Level:
Make your forms POP by using a little CSS and a little jQuery. A nice background animated effect, similar to what Wufoo does on their forms, all wrapped up and easy to use for anyone!
The Quick and Easy Way to Get Your PHP Server Set Up to Send Emails
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The ability to send emails from PHP scripts is something that many developers take for granted; what happens though when you make the move from hosted accounts to your own servers though and find that the same email scripts you've been using for years no longer work? The problem lies not in your code but in the fact that PHP uses another underlying program called sendmail to actually send emails out, and if that isn't set up or configured properly then your email scripts will never work!
In this article we're going to take a look at a very quick and easy way to get your own PHP server processing and sending out emails without all the headaches of a full sendmail configuration thanks to a little program called sSMTP. We'll even look at how you can use it in conjunction with Gmail to get emails up and running in less than 10 minutes!
Reader Level:
The ability to send emails from PHP scripts is something that many developers take for granted; what happens though when you make the move from hosted accounts to your own servers though and find that the same email scripts you've been using for years no longer work? The problem lies not in your code but in the fact that PHP uses another underlying program called sendmail to actually send emails out, and if that isn't set up or configured properly then your email scripts will never work!
In this article we're going to take a look at a very quick and easy way to get your own PHP server processing and sending out emails without all the headaches of a full sendmail configuration thanks to a little program called sSMTP. We'll even look at how you can use it in conjunction with Gmail to get emails up and running in less than 10 minutes!
Passively Tracking the Number of Online Users Through PHP Sessions
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The ability to display the number of users who are currently on your website at any given time can be a big boost for both advertisers and end users. On the web, after all, popularity plays a major role in success. Today we're going to look at one of the easiest and also most efficient methods of gathering and presenting this "realtime information": PHP session counting.
Reader Level:
The ability to display the number of users who are currently on your website at any given time can be a big boost for both advertisers and end users. On the web, after all, popularity plays a major role in success. Today we're going to look at one of the easiest and also most efficient methods of gathering and presenting this "realtime information": PHP session counting.
Increase SEO with Keyword-Driven URLs For Content Management Systems CMS Using PHP and CodeIgniter
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A common approach to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is to provide the search engine context for the content of your page with keywords in the URL. This strategy is so prevalent that most major blogs and content management systems (CMS) feature a 'clean URL' or URL rewrite feature. The rewrite feature looks at the structure of the page link and deciphers it into the content identification needed to bring up the designated content from the database. By using keywords relevant to your site in page URLs instead of relatively meaning code numbers, your site can achieve better ranking for those keywords. For example, which URL below will be better understood to search engines and humans?
http://wordpress.org/index.php?p=6427302910
or
http://wordpress.org/news/2010/07/wordpress-3-0-1/
The way many blog and CMS apps operate their url rewrite system is to give the content editor a field to write a URL title. This can work well, but in my years of building custom CMS apps for businesses I have that the content editors are often challenged with copywriting skills. Recently, I've taken a different tack with URL titles by automatically using the title of the content for the link. I figure that if the linked content piece is relevant enough to be added to the site, the title should already have relevant keywords.
In this tutorial, I will show you several methods for creating keyword-driven URLs for content management systems using PHP. Then we will explore the methods of deciphering the content links with both CodeIgniter and Apache mod_rewrite.
Reader Level:
A common approach to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is to provide the search engine context for the content of your page with keywords in the URL. This strategy is so prevalent that most major blogs and content management systems (CMS) feature a 'clean URL' or URL rewrite feature. The rewrite feature looks at the structure of the page link and deciphers it into the content identification needed to bring up the designated content from the database. By using keywords relevant to your site in page URLs instead of relatively meaning code numbers, your site can achieve better ranking for those keywords. For example, which URL below will be better understood to search engines and humans?
http://wordpress.org/index.php?p=6427302910
or
http://wordpress.org/news/2010/07/wordpress-3-0-1/
The way many blog and CMS apps operate their url rewrite system is to give the content editor a field to write a URL title. This can work well, but in my years of building custom CMS apps for businesses I have that the content editors are often challenged with copywriting skills. Recently, I've taken a different tack with URL titles by automatically using the title of the content for the link. I figure that if the linked content piece is relevant enough to be added to the site, the title should already have relevant keywords.
In this tutorial, I will show you several methods for creating keyword-driven URLs for content management systems using PHP. Then we will explore the methods of deciphering the content links with both CodeIgniter and Apache mod_rewrite.
Working with Images in PHP - Part 3: Scaling
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The ability to directly alter image files from PHP scripting is one of those interesting skills that most web developers are not even aware of. While this technology has been around for a few years now, the advent of more advanced client-side coding means that a combination of server and client-side technologies can now be used to create very interesting and effective online image manipulation tools.
Imagine an online photo gallery where users can upload images, and then rotate and crop them in realtime from their browser. Why not just use Photoshop? Well just remember that because you're dealing with a browser based solution your users gain the ability to do all this from their smart phones or other mobile devices that may not have image manipulation applications like Photoshop. In other words you're giving your users the ability to completely "cut out" the need for a full-blown computer for yet another important aspect of their social online experience!
The goal of this series will be to show you, step by step, how to build that realtime web-based image editing application. In the first few parts of the series we're going to focus on the basic PHP image manipulation code that we'll need to actually modify the graphic files; then later we'll see how to tie those in with jQuery and some client-side coding to create our application. Today we're going to talk about how to perform image scaling using GD and PHP.
The Working with Images in PHP Series:
Working with Images in PHP - Part 1: Rotation
Working with Images in PHP - Part 2: Cropping
Working with Images in PHP - Part 3: Scaling
Reader Level:
The ability to directly alter image files from PHP scripting is one of those interesting skills that most web developers are not even aware of. While this technology has been around for a few years now, the advent of more advanced client-side coding means that a combination of server and client-side technologies can now be used to create very interesting and effective online image manipulation tools.
Imagine an online photo gallery where users can upload images, and then rotate and crop them in realtime from their browser. Why not just use Photoshop? Well just remember that because you're dealing with a browser based solution your users gain the ability to do all this from their smart phones or other mobile devices that may not have image manipulation applications like Photoshop. In other words you're giving your users the ability to completely "cut out" the need for a full-blown computer for yet another important aspect of their social online experience!
The goal of this series will be to show you, step by step, how to build that realtime web-based image editing application. In the first few parts of the series we're going to focus on the basic PHP image manipulation code that we'll need to actually modify the graphic files; then later we'll see how to tie those in with jQuery and some client-side coding to create our application. Today we're going to talk about how to perform image scaling using GD and PHP.
The Working with Images in PHP Series:
Working with Images in PHP - Part 1: Rotation
Working with Images in PHP - Part 2: Cropping
Working with Images in PHP - Part 3: Scaling
Working with Images in PHP - Part 2: Cropping
Reader Level:
The ability to directly alter image files from PHP scripting is one of those interesting skills that most web developers are not even aware of. While this technology has been around for a few years now, the advent of more advanced client-side coding means that a combination of server and client-side technologies can now be used to create very interesting and effective online image manipulation tools.
Imagine an online photo gallery where users can upload images, and then rotate and crop them in realtime from their browser. Why not just use Photoshop? Well just remember that because you're dealing with a browser based solution your users gain the ability to do all this from their smart phones or other mobile devices that may not have image manipulation applications like Photoshop. In other words you're giving your users the ability to completely "cut out" the need for a full-blown computer for yet another important aspect of their social online experience!
The goal of this series will be to show you, step by step, how to build that realtime web-based image editing application. In the first few parts of the series we're going to focus on the basic PHP image manipulation code that we'll need to actually modify the graphic files; then later we'll see how to tie those in with jQuery and some client-side coding to create our application. Today we're going to talk about how to perform image cropping using GD and PHP.
The Working with Images in PHP Series:
Working with Images in PHP - Part 1: Rotation
Working with Images in PHP - Part 2: Cropping
Working with Images in PHP - Part 3: Scaling
Reader Level:
The ability to directly alter image files from PHP scripting is one of those interesting skills that most web developers are not even aware of. While this technology has been around for a few years now, the advent of more advanced client-side coding means that a combination of server and client-side technologies can now be used to create very interesting and effective online image manipulation tools.
Imagine an online photo gallery where users can upload images, and then rotate and crop them in realtime from their browser. Why not just use Photoshop? Well just remember that because you're dealing with a browser based solution your users gain the ability to do all this from their smart phones or other mobile devices that may not have image manipulation applications like Photoshop. In other words you're giving your users the ability to completely "cut out" the need for a full-blown computer for yet another important aspect of their social online experience!
The goal of this series will be to show you, step by step, how to build that realtime web-based image editing application. In the first few parts of the series we're going to focus on the basic PHP image manipulation code that we'll need to actually modify the graphic files; then later we'll see how to tie those in with jQuery and some client-side coding to create our application. Today we're going to talk about how to perform image cropping using GD and PHP.
The Working with Images in PHP Series:
Working with Images in PHP - Part 1: Rotation
Working with Images in PHP - Part 2: Cropping
Working with Images in PHP - Part 3: Scaling
Working With Images in PHP - Part 1: Rotation
Reader Level:
The ability to directly alter image files from PHP scripting is one of those interesting skills that most web developers are not even aware of. While this technology has been around for a few years now, the advent of more advanced client-side coding means that a combination of server and client-side technologies can now be used to create very interesting and effective online image manipulation tools.
Imagine an online photo gallery where users can upload images, and then rotate and crop them in realtime from their browser. Why not just use Photoshop? Well just remember that because you're dealing with a browser based solution your users gain the ability to do all this from their smart phones or other mobile devices that may not have image manipulation applications like Photoshop. In other words you're giving your users the ability to completely "cut out" the need for a full-blown computer for yet another important aspect of their social online experience!
The goal of this series will be to show you, step by step, how to build that realtime web-based image editing application. In the first few parts of the series we're going to focus on the basic PHP image manipulation code that we'll need to actually modify the graphic files; then later we'll see how to tie those in with jQuery and some client-side coding to create our application. Today we're going to start by looking at how to load, rotate, and save an image in PHP.
The Working with Images in PHP Series:
Working with Images in PHP - Part 1: Rotation
Working with Images in PHP - Part 2: Cropping
Working with Images in PHP - Part 3: Scaling
Reader Level:
The ability to directly alter image files from PHP scripting is one of those interesting skills that most web developers are not even aware of. While this technology has been around for a few years now, the advent of more advanced client-side coding means that a combination of server and client-side technologies can now be used to create very interesting and effective online image manipulation tools.
Imagine an online photo gallery where users can upload images, and then rotate and crop them in realtime from their browser. Why not just use Photoshop? Well just remember that because you're dealing with a browser based solution your users gain the ability to do all this from their smart phones or other mobile devices that may not have image manipulation applications like Photoshop. In other words you're giving your users the ability to completely "cut out" the need for a full-blown computer for yet another important aspect of their social online experience!
The goal of this series will be to show you, step by step, how to build that realtime web-based image editing application. In the first few parts of the series we're going to focus on the basic PHP image manipulation code that we'll need to actually modify the graphic files; then later we'll see how to tie those in with jQuery and some client-side coding to create our application. Today we're going to start by looking at how to load, rotate, and save an image in PHP.
The Working with Images in PHP Series:
Working with Images in PHP - Part 1: Rotation
Working with Images in PHP - Part 2: Cropping
Working with Images in PHP - Part 3: Scaling
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 6: PHP
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With Flash, interactivity isn't always about the content itself. Sometimes it's understated. Sometimes, for example, it's merely about picking a SWF at random when the user decides to reload the HTML page — regardless if the Flash content is programmed or not. You might use an approach like this to randomly display a set of Flash banner ads or cartoons, just to keep the page "fresh."
Today we're going to continue to build on David's original concept by looking at how we can implement a "hands free" random SWF mechansim using PHP.
The Loading SWFs Randomly Series:
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 1: JavaScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 2: ActionScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 3: Improvements
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 4: Improvements (Cont)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 5: Improvements (Concluded)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 6: PHP
Reader Level:
With Flash, interactivity isn't always about the content itself. Sometimes it's understated. Sometimes, for example, it's merely about picking a SWF at random when the user decides to reload the HTML page — regardless if the Flash content is programmed or not. You might use an approach like this to randomly display a set of Flash banner ads or cartoons, just to keep the page "fresh."
Today we're going to continue to build on David's original concept by looking at how we can implement a "hands free" random SWF mechansim using PHP.
The Loading SWFs Randomly Series:
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 1: JavaScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 2: ActionScript
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 3: Improvements
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 4: Improvements (Cont)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 5: Improvements (Concluded)
Loading SWFs Randomly - Part 6: PHP
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 1
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There are many occasions when real-time automatic file listings can make your life easier as a web developer. Imagine building an image gallery that automatically updates and populates itself simply by reading all of the images in a given directory on the server. Or a video player that will automatically allow users to choose from any video file residing in a given folder.
In this article we're going to look at how you can dynamically generate a list of files in a specific location and output an XML document with the results; then, in future articles, we'll look at some of the ways that you can take that XML data and apply it to practical applications.
The Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications Series:
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 1
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 2
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 3
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 4
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 5
Reader Level:
There are many occasions when real-time automatic file listings can make your life easier as a web developer. Imagine building an image gallery that automatically updates and populates itself simply by reading all of the images in a given directory on the server. Or a video player that will automatically allow users to choose from any video file residing in a given folder.
In this article we're going to look at how you can dynamically generate a list of files in a specific location and output an XML document with the results; then, in future articles, we'll look at some of the ways that you can take that XML data and apply it to practical applications.
The Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications Series:
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 1
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 2
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 3
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 4
Dynamic Filelists for Web Applications - Part 5
Copy a Record in PHP Using Dreamweaver
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A quick and easy way to copy a record, edit the record contents and insert it as a new record in to your database. By using Dreamweaver server behaviors, this process is a snap!
Reader Level:
A quick and easy way to copy a record, edit the record contents and insert it as a new record in to your database. By using Dreamweaver server behaviors, this process is a snap!
PHP Phreakout: Troubleshooting Tips for PHP Code
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I call it the "White Screen of Oblivion." You've seen it. You just finished your new code and you eagerly upload it to the server to watch the magic you just conjured. You load the script and wait. And Wait. That white, blank screen opens like a void and sucks your confidence while the concept quickly sinks in that you have a problem. Ok, but what problem? Not even an error message?
With experiences like that, we can actually be happy when we do receive an error message. Even one which says fatal. At least an error message gives us a line number and some kind of a clue!
So what happens when your PHP code doesn't work as expected? What do those messages mean? Sometimes confusing, sometimes cryptic, those little blurbs declaring that you goofed can actually be helpful! In this article, I will describe the process and some tricks I use to troubleshoot my PHP code during initial development.
Reader Level:
I call it the "White Screen of Oblivion." You've seen it. You just finished your new code and you eagerly upload it to the server to watch the magic you just conjured. You load the script and wait. And Wait. That white, blank screen opens like a void and sucks your confidence while the concept quickly sinks in that you have a problem. Ok, but what problem? Not even an error message?
With experiences like that, we can actually be happy when we do receive an error message. Even one which says fatal. At least an error message gives us a line number and some kind of a clue!
So what happens when your PHP code doesn't work as expected? What do those messages mean? Sometimes confusing, sometimes cryptic, those little blurbs declaring that you goofed can actually be helpful! In this article, I will describe the process and some tricks I use to troubleshoot my PHP code during initial development.
Case Study: How to Customize a JumpStart
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The primary benefits to the JumpStarts are that they have been tested with the popular browsers and can get you up and running quickly. Having a limited timeframe to get the site redesigned, I decided to give the JumpStarts a good look. What I quickly realized is that despite my disdain for templates, the JumpStarts are highly customizable, which can result in uniques designs.
In this tutorial, I will describe the process I used for assessing my web site needs and selecting a specific JumpStart. We will then walk through the steps of creating a unique design from the example. Finally, I will share an extra step I took in which I used PHP to 'templatize' my page design to speed content creation, ease revisions and provide customized content to the visitor.
Reader Level:
The primary benefits to the JumpStarts are that they have been tested with the popular browsers and can get you up and running quickly. Having a limited timeframe to get the site redesigned, I decided to give the JumpStarts a good look. What I quickly realized is that despite my disdain for templates, the JumpStarts are highly customizable, which can result in uniques designs.
In this tutorial, I will describe the process I used for assessing my web site needs and selecting a specific JumpStart. We will then walk through the steps of creating a unique design from the example. Finally, I will share an extra step I took in which I used PHP to 'templatize' my page design to speed content creation, ease revisions and provide customized content to the visitor.
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 2
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Preserving data for an end user can be one of the more challenging tasks when you first start to learn a server-side programming language like PHP. Sessions are a good starting point that allow you to carry information about users across multiple pages of your site, but alone they can fall short of expectations as they are always only limited to the length of a current browsing "session".
In the first part of this series we looked at what cookies were, how easy they were to use, and some of the general pitfalls that developers need to be aware of when utilizing them. Today we're going to focus on setting the record straight on cookie security and the realities of using cookies in your own web applications.
The Secret Art of Cookies Series:
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 1
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 2
Reader Level:
Preserving data for an end user can be one of the more challenging tasks when you first start to learn a server-side programming language like PHP. Sessions are a good starting point that allow you to carry information about users across multiple pages of your site, but alone they can fall short of expectations as they are always only limited to the length of a current browsing "session".
In the first part of this series we looked at what cookies were, how easy they were to use, and some of the general pitfalls that developers need to be aware of when utilizing them. Today we're going to focus on setting the record straight on cookie security and the realities of using cookies in your own web applications.
The Secret Art of Cookies Series:
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 1
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 2
Creating a Redirected Login
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Creating a two-tier web site is a task that most developers have to deal with regularly; often times a site will require both a public and "member's-only" section. Although there are many tutorials and explanations of how to use databases to build and manage login systems, one of the questions that I find often goes unanswered is how to make your login page "transparent".
In this article we'll take a look at the theory and a simple implementation of how you can go about presenting a login page anytime a user is directed to "member's-only" content and, most importantly, how to continue sending them to their desired page once the login is complete.
Reader Level:
Creating a two-tier web site is a task that most developers have to deal with regularly; often times a site will require both a public and "member's-only" section. Although there are many tutorials and explanations of how to use databases to build and manage login systems, one of the questions that I find often goes unanswered is how to make your login page "transparent".
In this article we'll take a look at the theory and a simple implementation of how you can go about presenting a login page anytime a user is directed to "member's-only" content and, most importantly, how to continue sending them to their desired page once the login is complete.
Autoloading Classes in PHP
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When working with object-oriented coding in PHP one of the biggest hassles you'll encounter is having to continually remember to explicitly include/require the appropriate class definition file for each object you want to use. In this article we'll take a look at a new and very handy feature introduced in PHP 5 that will allow you to automatically include class definitions as they're required:__autoload.
Reader Level:
When working with object-oriented coding in PHP one of the biggest hassles you'll encounter is having to continually remember to explicitly include/require the appropriate class definition file for each object you want to use. In this article we'll take a look at a new and very handy feature introduced in PHP 5 that will allow you to automatically include class definitions as they're required:__autoload.
A VIEW to Die For!
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mySQL v5 introduced the VIEW command to create views in the database, we will go over the how, what and why of VIEWs for mySQL v5.
Reader Level:
mySQL v5 introduced the VIEW command to create views in the database, we will go over the how, what and why of VIEWs for mySQL v5.
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 1
Reader Level:
Preserving data for an end user can be one of the more challenging tasks when you first start to learn a server-side programming language like PHP. Sessions are a good starting point that allow you to carry information about users across multiple pages of your site, but alone they can fall short of expectations as they are always only limited to the length of a current browsing "session".
What about those times when you want to preserve information (such as a user's login) for a longer period of time? This is where the wonderful world of cookies comes in! In this article we'll explore what cookies are, why they're userful, and how to use them in PHP.
The Secret Art of Cookies Series:
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 1
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 2
Reader Level:
Preserving data for an end user can be one of the more challenging tasks when you first start to learn a server-side programming language like PHP. Sessions are a good starting point that allow you to carry information about users across multiple pages of your site, but alone they can fall short of expectations as they are always only limited to the length of a current browsing "session".
What about those times when you want to preserve information (such as a user's login) for a longer period of time? This is where the wonderful world of cookies comes in! In this article we'll explore what cookies are, why they're userful, and how to use them in PHP.
The Secret Art of Cookies Series:
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 1
The Secret Art of Cookies: Part 2
PHP Sessions - Keeping Data Over Multiple Pages
Reader Level:
One of the age old problems with server-side scripting is that it's based on a page-by-page production model; that is, each page is interpreted and run as its own entity as the user requests it. While this makes development more inline with traditional HTML, it also makes it more challenging to create full-fledged applications that may span multiple "pages" of a site.
If you're new to PHP (or indeed most server-side languages) the desire to have variables or data persist across multiple pages has probably arisen several times, but a straightforward explanation of how to do this is often overwhelmingly difficult to find. The purpose of this article is to provide with practical knowledge of both the theories and actual code that you need in order to carry data across multiple PHP pages.
Reader Level:
One of the age old problems with server-side scripting is that it's based on a page-by-page production model; that is, each page is interpreted and run as its own entity as the user requests it. While this makes development more inline with traditional HTML, it also makes it more challenging to create full-fledged applications that may span multiple "pages" of a site.
If you're new to PHP (or indeed most server-side languages) the desire to have variables or data persist across multiple pages has probably arisen several times, but a straightforward explanation of how to do this is often overwhelmingly difficult to find. The purpose of this article is to provide with practical knowledge of both the theories and actual code that you need in order to carry data across multiple PHP pages.
Custom PHP Settings With .htaccess
Reader Level:
Every now and again I find as a web developer that there are times when the default PHP configuration on my server just isn't working as well as I'd like it to for a given project. This can be especially plaguing when you're dealing with remote web hosts that offer you little to no control over the configuration of PHP itself. Anytime you're running multiple web sites off the same server this can also be a problem as you may want to have different PHP settings for each of the sites.
In this article we're going to take a look at one possible solution to these problems by including PHP configuration values within an .htaccess file.
Reader Level:
Every now and again I find as a web developer that there are times when the default PHP configuration on my server just isn't working as well as I'd like it to for a given project. This can be especially plaguing when you're dealing with remote web hosts that offer you little to no control over the configuration of PHP itself. Anytime you're running multiple web sites off the same server this can also be a problem as you may want to have different PHP settings for each of the sites.
In this article we're going to take a look at one possible solution to these problems by including PHP configuration values within an .htaccess file.
Smarter Link Lists With PHP
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On most personal web sites you will find a listing of the the author's favorite sites, but often these links become outdated, or the sites at the end of the links go down for whatever reason. It's very frustrating for users to click on a link, only to be given a 404 page or timeout error, so in this tutorial I will show you how to make a smarter link list that checks to see if the domain being linked to is available or not before printing the link.
Reader Level:
On most personal web sites you will find a listing of the the author's favorite sites, but often these links become outdated, or the sites at the end of the links go down for whatever reason. It's very frustrating for users to click on a link, only to be given a 404 page or timeout error, so in this tutorial I will show you how to make a smarter link list that checks to see if the domain being linked to is available or not before printing the link.
Server-Side Includes in PHP - Part 2: Relative Paths
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Server-side includes make the development and management of complex web sites easier and more efficient. One common problem that developers often run into though when first learning to use server-side includes is the idea of relative paths. In this article we'll look at why relative paths may not work the way you'd expect them to as well as a fairly simple little "trick" to solve the problem.
The Server-Side Includes in PHP Series:
Server-Side Includes in PHP - Part 1
Server-Side Includes in PHP - Part 2: Relative Paths
Reader Level:
Server-side includes make the development and management of complex web sites easier and more efficient. One common problem that developers often run into though when first learning to use server-side includes is the idea of relative paths. In this article we'll look at why relative paths may not work the way you'd expect them to as well as a fairly simple little "trick" to solve the problem.
The Server-Side Includes in PHP Series:
Server-Side Includes in PHP - Part 1
Server-Side Includes in PHP - Part 2: Relative Paths
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6: Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. In the final part of this series we'll tie up some loose ends and take a look at one last neat little trick: resource pointers.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. In the final part of this series we'll tie up some loose ends and take a look at one last neat little trick: resource pointers.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Peronalized E-cards with Flash
Reader Level:
I know the busy season for sending out greeting cards to your clients and friends has passed, but you can plan ahead for next year as well as using this tutorial for sending out any customized info and greetings throughout the rest of the year.
Nicely designed e-cards using Flash can send an effective, fully animated-greeting and message to your clients/friends. It also saves you a bundle in printing and mailing costs that come with hard-copy cards and mail-outs. If you're like me and you wait to the last minute with things, you can send them out much later and not have to worry about the time mail takes to get to places on-time!
This tutorial covers using PHP, URL encoded strings, FlahVars, and Flash to send out an address to a simple Flash e-card template that is personalized for each recipients name.
Reader Level:
I know the busy season for sending out greeting cards to your clients and friends has passed, but you can plan ahead for next year as well as using this tutorial for sending out any customized info and greetings throughout the rest of the year.
Nicely designed e-cards using Flash can send an effective, fully animated-greeting and message to your clients/friends. It also saves you a bundle in printing and mailing costs that come with hard-copy cards and mail-outs. If you're like me and you wait to the last minute with things, you can send them out much later and not have to worry about the time mail takes to get to places on-time!
This tutorial covers using PHP, URL encoded strings, FlahVars, and Flash to send out an address to a simple Flash e-card template that is personalized for each recipients name.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. We're going to take a bit of a detour from our usual control structures discussions today to explore a slightly more basic but extremely useful technique called variable referencing.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. We're going to take a bit of a detour from our usual control structures discussions today to explore a slightly more basic but extremely useful technique called variable referencing.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
CMX PHP Download Counter
Reader Level:
So, your site offers it's users downloadable files of some sort, but you have no way of knowing how many files are being downloaded? Well CMX has has a solution for you.
The CMX PHP Download Counter consists of two tiny PHP functions that use MySQL tables to generate lists of file downloads and count the total file downloads each time someone clicks on the link.
Reader Level:
So, your site offers it's users downloadable files of some sort, but you have no way of knowing how many files are being downloaded? Well CMX has has a solution for you.
The CMX PHP Download Counter consists of two tiny PHP functions that use MySQL tables to generate lists of file downloads and count the total file downloads each time someone clicks on the link.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. This time around we'll explore array and resource pointers to see how they work and just how useful they can be.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. This time around we'll explore array and resource pointers to see how they work and just how useful they can be.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language is control structures - statements that tell a language interpreter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. This time around we'll be looking at some more advanced looping techniques that will allow you to make your code more powerful and easier to read.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language is control structures - statements that tell a language interpreter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. This time around we'll be looking at some more advanced looping techniques that will allow you to make your code more powerful and easier to read.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. This time around we're going to take a look at the all-important break command.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Reader Level:
One of the key components of any scripting or programming language are control structures; statements that tell a language interpretter to stop reading code in a linear line-by-line fashion and start to make more complex operations based on simple logic. While most developers are aware of the common "if else" and "for" structures, there are many others available in PHP (and other languages I might add) that allow you to save a great deal of time and make your coding more efficient and easier to understand.
In this series we're going to take a look at some of those "forgotten" structures and some practical examples of how they can be used to clean up your coding techniques. This time around we're going to take a look at the all-important break command.
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures Series:
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 1: Switch Statements
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 2: The Break Command
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 3: Advanced Loops and Arrays
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 4: Internal Array Pointers
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 5: Variables by Reference
The Lost Art of PHP Control Structures - Part 6:Resource Pointers and One Last Trick
Editable Select Lists Using CMX AutoComplete
Reader Level:
One of the most surprising aspects of HTML forms is that there is no way to natively create an editable select list. Developers are forced to either present a fixed value list for the user to choose from, or provide an additional text box to allow the user to enter a new value. Fortunately with a bit of help from the latest version of the CMX Auto Complete Extension we can finally solve this problem quite easily!
Reader Level:
One of the most surprising aspects of HTML forms is that there is no way to natively create an editable select list. Developers are forced to either present a fixed value list for the user to choose from, or provide an additional text box to allow the user to enter a new value. Fortunately with a bit of help from the latest version of the CMX Auto Complete Extension we can finally solve this problem quite easily!
Switching CSS Based on Time of Day with PHP
Reader Level:
Sometimes dynamic code can have advantages when it comes to adding some aesthetic features to a web design. In this example we will build a small PHP function that will output a different CSS link to your pages depending on what time of the day it is. We will also have a look at the best way to deploy this technique in terms of CSS.
We will take advantage of PHP's date function and switch statements to make our function work.
The support files download for this tutorial contain a nice looking example of a CSS header image rotation based on the time of day. It's complete with the 4 PNG files used, CSS files, PHP function and test page.
Approximate download size: 658k
Reader Level:
Sometimes dynamic code can have advantages when it comes to adding some aesthetic features to a web design. In this example we will build a small PHP function that will output a different CSS link to your pages depending on what time of the day it is. We will also have a look at the best way to deploy this technique in terms of CSS.
We will take advantage of PHP's date function and switch statements to make our function work.
The support files download for this tutorial contain a nice looking example of a CSS header image rotation based on the time of day. It's complete with the 4 PNG files used, CSS files, PHP function and test page.
Approximate download size: 658k
Implementing a Real-Time Chat Application
Reader Level:
When you look around the internet you will find a multitude of community-style sites that offer their visitors the opportunity communicate via a real-time chat application. Many of those applications are cumbersome and rely on terrible page refreshes every few seconds.
The fact that chatting online is a very important part of building friendship and communication within a community web site makes it no surprise that a frequently asked question on web development forums is "How do I add live chat to my web site?". It's a common question with so many possible answers.
In this tutorial I will introduce you to a free PHP chat application that works in modern browsers and degrades gracefully in the not so modern browsers that some people still persist in using.
This application is special for a number of reasons. To find out just how special it is please read on.
Reader Level:
When you look around the internet you will find a multitude of community-style sites that offer their visitors the opportunity communicate via a real-time chat application. Many of those applications are cumbersome and rely on terrible page refreshes every few seconds.
The fact that chatting online is a very important part of building friendship and communication within a community web site makes it no surprise that a frequently asked question on web development forums is "How do I add live chat to my web site?". It's a common question with so many possible answers.
In this tutorial I will introduce you to a free PHP chat application that works in modern browsers and degrades gracefully in the not so modern browsers that some people still persist in using.
This application is special for a number of reasons. To find out just how special it is please read on.
Previewing and Submitting User Content
Reader Level:
Often when you allow users to send data to a database it's a good idea to allow them to preview their text before it's committed, especially if the data is going to be queried and outputted onto a live HTML document. This is a common feature of many forum, CMS and blogging applications. In this tutorial I will show you how to acheive this using PHP.
Reader Level:
Often when you allow users to send data to a database it's a good idea to allow them to preview their text before it's committed, especially if the data is going to be queried and outputted onto a live HTML document. This is a common feature of many forum, CMS and blogging applications. In this tutorial I will show you how to acheive this using PHP.
Regular Expressions By Example
Reader Level:
Regular expressions are a powerful pattern-based tool for searching and manipulating text. Unfortunately for newcomers they can also seem quite complicated and often times be simply overwhelming.
In this article we'll take a bit more of a hands-on approach to regular expressions and see how some of the various symbols and characters of regular expressions can be combined to form patterns that have real world practical uses.
Reader Level:
Regular expressions are a powerful pattern-based tool for searching and manipulating text. Unfortunately for newcomers they can also seem quite complicated and often times be simply overwhelming.
In this article we'll take a bit more of a hands-on approach to regular expressions and see how some of the various symbols and characters of regular expressions can be combined to form patterns that have real world practical uses.
Implementing Gravatars with PHP
Reader Level:
What with all those blogs, forums, galleries and other applications that allow web site users to add their own comments on pages it was little wonder that someone decided to create universal method of graphically identifying users.
Gravatars are an adaptation of the good ole' fashioned forum "avatar". The main difference with Gravatars is that they are served from a single place, instead of individual servers. The idea being that no matter where you're posting comments, your avatar will always be the same. Also when you change the image it changes everywhere you have left a comment too! Cool huh?
Let's say you have created an application in PHP and you wish to allow your users to take advantage of Gravatars. How would you do this? Let me show you the easiest method.
Reader Level:
What with all those blogs, forums, galleries and other applications that allow web site users to add their own comments on pages it was little wonder that someone decided to create universal method of graphically identifying users.
Gravatars are an adaptation of the good ole' fashioned forum "avatar". The main difference with Gravatars is that they are served from a single place, instead of individual servers. The idea being that no matter where you're posting comments, your avatar will always be the same. Also when you change the image it changes everywhere you have left a comment too! Cool huh?
Let's say you have created an application in PHP and you wish to allow your users to take advantage of Gravatars. How would you do this? Let me show you the easiest method.
Introduction to Regular Expressions
Reader Level:
One of the most common tasks as a programmer that you'll end up coming across is string manipulation. You can run from it, you can hide from it, but eventually you're going to have to end up doing it (and usually on a fairly frequent basis!). Fortunately, a special set of tools commonly called "regular expressions" can often save you a great deal of time and effort, helping you achieve goals that you never thought possible. The downside, of course, is that you have to learn how to use these "expressions", and they can be quite confusing at times.
In this article we'll take a beginner's look at what regular expressions are and see through examples how they can help you in your day to day tasks.
Reader Level:
One of the most common tasks as a programmer that you'll end up coming across is string manipulation. You can run from it, you can hide from it, but eventually you're going to have to end up doing it (and usually on a fairly frequent basis!). Fortunately, a special set of tools commonly called "regular expressions" can often save you a great deal of time and effort, helping you achieve goals that you never thought possible. The downside, of course, is that you have to learn how to use these "expressions", and they can be quite confusing at times.
In this article we'll take a beginner's look at what regular expressions are and see through examples how they can help you in your day to day tasks.
PHP Formmail Spam Prevention
Reader Level:
It used to be that there were clear sides in the junk email battle: the spammers and the spammed. I always considered myself a member of the latter group, and then one day I became a member—inadvertently—of the former. I had become a victim of the email injection attack via a PHP formmail script.
In this update to the Dreamweaver Creating and Processing Form series, we'll take a new look at the phpformmail script and demonstrate how to use a key and email value pair to keep your email address out of the html page.
Reader Level:
It used to be that there were clear sides in the junk email battle: the spammers and the spammed. I always considered myself a member of the latter group, and then one day I became a member—inadvertently—of the former. I had become a victim of the email injection attack via a PHP formmail script.
In this update to the Dreamweaver Creating and Processing Form series, we'll take a new look at the phpformmail script and demonstrate how to use a key and email value pair to keep your email address out of the html page.
Tag Clouds with PHP and MySQL
Reader Level:
Tag clouds are all the rage these days when it comes to browsing content that's "tagged" with category keywords. They quickly provide users with a visual indication of which categories contain the most information.
Blogs and social linking networks have been quick to utilize this navigation pattern, but whether tag clouds are just the latest craze or a genuinely useful way for users to navigate content is very much a disputed topic.
In this tutorial we will be using some simple PHP and two simple tables from a MySQL database to illustrate a quick and easy method of outputting tag clouds.
Reader Level:
Tag clouds are all the rage these days when it comes to browsing content that's "tagged" with category keywords. They quickly provide users with a visual indication of which categories contain the most information.
Blogs and social linking networks have been quick to utilize this navigation pattern, but whether tag clouds are just the latest craze or a genuinely useful way for users to navigate content is very much a disputed topic.
In this tutorial we will be using some simple PHP and two simple tables from a MySQL database to illustrate a quick and easy method of outputting tag clouds.
Create a Quick Poll in PHP - Part 1
Reader Level:
Create a quick poll using PHP, MySQL and Dreamweaver.
The Create a Quick Poll in PHP Series:
Create a Quick Poll in PHP - Part 1
Create a Quick Poll in PHP - Part 2 Coming Soon
Reader Level:
Create a quick poll using PHP, MySQL and Dreamweaver.
The Create a Quick Poll in PHP Series:
Create a Quick Poll in PHP - Part 1
Create a Quick Poll in PHP - Part 2 Coming Soon
Create Dynamic Charts & Graphs with PHP/SWF Charts
Reader Level:
PHP/SWF Charts is a PHP-based tool to generate Flash charts and graphs from dynamic data. With it, you can create charts that update in real time, right on the same page. This tutorial will show you how to use the free version of PHP/SWF charts (along with PHP and MySQL) to create an opinion poll page where poll results are charted in real time.
Reader Level:
PHP/SWF Charts is a PHP-based tool to generate Flash charts and graphs from dynamic data. With it, you can create charts that update in real time, right on the same page. This tutorial will show you how to use the free version of PHP/SWF charts (along with PHP and MySQL) to create an opinion poll page where poll results are charted in real time.
Spell Checking HTML Forms with JavaScript and PHP
Reader Level:
Have you ever had to write a large amount of text into a field on an HTML form and been uncertain of just how reliable your spelling skills are? Wouldn't it be nice if HTML forms, like most other applications, had one of those handy little "Spell Check" buttons? In this article we'll look at how easy it is to implement this functionality using a PHP/JavaScript solution called Speller Pages.
Reader Level:
Have you ever had to write a large amount of text into a field on an HTML form and been uncertain of just how reliable your spelling skills are? Wouldn't it be nice if HTML forms, like most other applications, had one of those handy little "Spell Check" buttons? In this article we'll look at how easy it is to implement this functionality using a PHP/JavaScript solution called Speller Pages.
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms - Part 2
Reader Level:
In the first part of this article we explored how to take a standard PHP-driven contact form and convert it to an AJAX-driven one. Although the AJAX version was better than the original, the conversion over to client-side validation also opened the door for some new and unexpected possibilities.
In this article we're going to explore one of those new concepts and refine our form a bit further by adding form validation that occurs in real-time as the user completes each field.
The AJAX Applied Series:
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms - Part 2
Reader Level:
In the first part of this article we explored how to take a standard PHP-driven contact form and convert it to an AJAX-driven one. Although the AJAX version was better than the original, the conversion over to client-side validation also opened the door for some new and unexpected possibilities.
In this article we're going to explore one of those new concepts and refine our form a bit further by adding form validation that occurs in real-time as the user completes each field.
The AJAX Applied Series:
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms - Part 2
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms
Reader Level:
For most web developers AJAX is simply another one of those "buzz words" that represents a "revolutionary new technology" that will change the way web sites work forever. It all sounds fantastic and there are lots of great articles that explain what AJAX is and why you'd want to use it. The biggest problem for most developers is figuring out just how AJAX can be applied to real-world situations.
In this article we're going to try and tackle the implementation question. We'll take an existing PHP contact form and gradually convert it into an AJAX-driven solution. The goal is to demonstrate not only the technology and how it can be used, but also the process that you, as a developer, can take to begin the transition from traditional web development to AJAX-based pages and sites.
The AJAX Applied Series:
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms - Part 2
Reader Level:
For most web developers AJAX is simply another one of those "buzz words" that represents a "revolutionary new technology" that will change the way web sites work forever. It all sounds fantastic and there are lots of great articles that explain what AJAX is and why you'd want to use it. The biggest problem for most developers is figuring out just how AJAX can be applied to real-world situations.
In this article we're going to try and tackle the implementation question. We'll take an existing PHP contact form and gradually convert it into an AJAX-driven solution. The goal is to demonstrate not only the technology and how it can be used, but also the process that you, as a developer, can take to begin the transition from traditional web development to AJAX-based pages and sites.
The AJAX Applied Series:
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms
AJAX Applied: PHP Contact Forms - Part 2
Geolocating IP Addresses with PHP
Reader Level:
Have you ever wondered just where in the world the visitors of your website are comming from? Whether to satisfy your own curiosity or to automatically deliver localized information, Geocoding can open a whole new set of possibilites for a web site. In this article we'll take a look at what Geocoding is and how a community-based project can help to provide an accurate and affordable geocoding solution.
Reader Level:
Have you ever wondered just where in the world the visitors of your website are comming from? Whether to satisfy your own curiosity or to automatically deliver localized information, Geocoding can open a whole new set of possibilites for a web site. In this article we'll take a look at what Geocoding is and how a community-based project can help to provide an accurate and affordable geocoding solution.
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 3: File Contents
Reader Level:
PHP provides a wide variety of ways to work with the filesystem of the server upon which it is running. In the third part of this series, File Content , we'll explore how to read and write information to files using a PHP script.
The PHP and the Filesystem Series:
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 1: Directories
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 2: Basic File Control
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 3: File Contents
Reader Level:
PHP provides a wide variety of ways to work with the filesystem of the server upon which it is running. In the third part of this series, File Content , we'll explore how to read and write information to files using a PHP script.
The PHP and the Filesystem Series:
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 1: Directories
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 2: Basic File Control
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 3: File Contents
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 2: Basic File Control
Reader Level:
PHP provides a wide variety of ways to work with the filesystem of the server upon which it is running. In the second part of this series, Basic File Control, we'll explore how to get information about and move/copy/delete files from within a PHP script.
The PHP and the Filesystem Series:
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 1: Directories
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 2: Basic File Control
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 3: File Contents
Reader Level:
PHP provides a wide variety of ways to work with the filesystem of the server upon which it is running. In the second part of this series, Basic File Control, we'll explore how to get information about and move/copy/delete files from within a PHP script.
The PHP and the Filesystem Series:
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 1: Directories
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 2: Basic File Control
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 3: File Contents
PHP and the Filesystem Part 1: Directories
Reader Level:
PHP provides a wide variety of ways to work with the filesystem of the server upon which it is running. In the first part of this article, Directories, we'll explore how to work with, manipulate, and access directory structures from within a PHP script.
The PHP and the Filesystem Series:
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 1: Directories
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 2: Basic File Control
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 3: File Contents
Reader Level:
PHP provides a wide variety of ways to work with the filesystem of the server upon which it is running. In the first part of this article, Directories, we'll explore how to work with, manipulate, and access directory structures from within a PHP script.
The PHP and the Filesystem Series:
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 1: Directories
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 2: Basic File Control
PHP and the Filesystem - Part 3: File Contents
Show and Hide Content Based on User Access Levels
Reader Level:
Dreamweaver's native Log In User server behavior combined with the Restrict Access to Page server behavior can help you protect your pages from prying eyes. However, when it comes to more fine grained control of content on pages viewable by users from multiple access levels, Dreamweaver doesn't have anything built in to offer any assistance to you.
Read on to learn how to show and hide content on a page based upon the access level (user group) of a logged in visitor.
Reader Level:
Dreamweaver's native Log In User server behavior combined with the Restrict Access to Page server behavior can help you protect your pages from prying eyes. However, when it comes to more fine grained control of content on pages viewable by users from multiple access levels, Dreamweaver doesn't have anything built in to offer any assistance to you.
Read on to learn how to show and hide content on a page based upon the access level (user group) of a logged in visitor.
Introducing Recursive Functions in PHP
Reader Level:
One of the basic building blocks of any object-oriented programming language is the function. Functions allow you to reuse blocks of code and perform common tasks from other points within a script. In addition to straight calls though, functions can also be created to act recursively, adding a whole new dimension and power to this basic programming building block. In this article we'll take a look at what recursion is and why it's useful. We'll also create a recursive function to convert PHP arrays to JavaScript ones.
Reader Level:
One of the basic building blocks of any object-oriented programming language is the function. Functions allow you to reuse blocks of code and perform common tasks from other points within a script. In addition to straight calls though, functions can also be created to act recursively, adding a whole new dimension and power to this basic programming building block. In this article we'll take a look at what recursion is and why it's useful. We'll also create a recursive function to convert PHP arrays to JavaScript ones.
Base64 Encoding
Reader Level:
Your boss comes up to you, says that the requirements on the latest project have changed. You are now required to include an employee badge photo along with your company's replication feed. "But sir, the replication feed is an XML file ... how are we going to get an image into that?".
Enter Base64 Encoding. Though it doesn't come up every day, it's usefulness is undeniable, and your toolbox will be all the better for containing it. Code presented in this article will be in ASP.NET, Coldfusion, and PHP. We will discuss some situations where Base64 encoding will come in handy.
Reader Level:
Your boss comes up to you, says that the requirements on the latest project have changed. You are now required to include an employee badge photo along with your company's replication feed. "But sir, the replication feed is an XML file ... how are we going to get an image into that?".
Enter Base64 Encoding. Though it doesn't come up every day, it's usefulness is undeniable, and your toolbox will be all the better for containing it. Code presented in this article will be in ASP.NET, Coldfusion, and PHP. We will discuss some situations where Base64 encoding will come in handy.
Learning PHP - Part 3: Basic Content Management
Reader Level:
In Part 3 of the Learning PHP series, you'll learn how to use PHP and MySQL to build a basic, working content management system that you can customize for any site.
The Learning PHP Series:
Learning PHP - Part 1: A Gentle Introduction
Learning PHP - Part 2: All About Arrays
Learning PHP - Part 3: Basic Content Management
Learning PHP - Part 4: Focus on Functions
Reader Level:
In Part 3 of the Learning PHP series, you'll learn how to use PHP and MySQL to build a basic, working content management system that you can customize for any site.
The Learning PHP Series:
Learning PHP - Part 1: A Gentle Introduction
Learning PHP - Part 2: All About Arrays
Learning PHP - Part 3: Basic Content Management
Learning PHP - Part 4: Focus on Functions
Creating a Search Engine with iSearch
Reader Level:
If you have always wanted to add a search engine to your site, and didn't know how to program one yourself, you might want to download and install iSearch, a ready-made PHP and MySQL driven application that performs searches right on your own server. This tutorial will take you through the installation and the customization (of the style sheet and header and footer includes) of iSearch.
Reader Level:
If you have always wanted to add a search engine to your site, and didn't know how to program one yourself, you might want to download and install iSearch, a ready-made PHP and MySQL driven application that performs searches right on your own server. This tutorial will take you through the installation and the customization (of the style sheet and header and footer includes) of iSearch.
Learning PHP - Part 2: All About Arrays
Reader Level:
Everyone knows PHP offers a wide array of web development possibilities. In Part 2 of our Learning PHP series, we'll see just how wide: this installment is all about arrays, and how to use them.
The Learning PHP Series:
Learning PHP - Part 1: A Gentle Introduction
Learning PHP - Part 2: All About Arrays
Learning PHP - Part 3: Basic Content Management
Learning PHP - Part 4: Focus on Functions
Reader Level:
Everyone knows PHP offers a wide array of web development possibilities. In Part 2 of our Learning PHP series, we'll see just how wide: this installment is all about arrays, and how to use them.
The Learning PHP Series:
Learning PHP - Part 1: A Gentle Introduction
Learning PHP - Part 2: All About Arrays
Learning PHP - Part 3: Basic Content Management
Learning PHP - Part 4: Focus on Functions
Dynamic CSS Files with PHP
Reader Level:
Dynamically generated CSS adds a whole new level of managability and optimization to CSS. In this article we'll take a look at how to put PHP scripting within your CSS files, and some of the advantages of doing so.
Reader Level:
Dynamically generated CSS adds a whole new level of managability and optimization to CSS. In this article we'll take a look at how to put PHP scripting within your CSS files, and some of the advantages of doing so.
Basic FTP in Your PHP Scripts
Reader Level:
Although many developers regard PHP simply as a tool for dynamic web sites, there are many situations in which it can be used to make a web administrator's job easier and more efficient. In this article, we take a look at PHP's native FTP functionality, and how it can be used to help automate the task of creating and updating a Froogle data feed.
Reader Level:
Although many developers regard PHP simply as a tool for dynamic web sites, there are many situations in which it can be used to make a web administrator's job easier and more efficient. In this article, we take a look at PHP's native FTP functionality, and how it can be used to help automate the task of creating and updating a Froogle data feed.
DOM: Scripting to the Standard - Part 3
Reader Level:
The third part of this series focuses on how to change and manipulate a document using DOM methods and properties. We also explore how these techniques can be used by JavaScript's DOM implementation to add some real flexibility to your web pages without having to constantly force the user to wait for page reloads and server-side scripts.
The DOM: Scripting to the Standard Series:
DOM: Scripting to the Standards - Part 1
DOM: Scripting to the Standards - Part 2
DOM: Scripting to the Standards - Part 3
Reader Level:
The third part of this series focuses on how to change and manipulate a document using DOM methods and properties. We also explore how these techniques can be used by JavaScript's DOM implementation to add some real flexibility to your web pages without having to constantly force the user to wait for page reloads and server-side scripts.
The DOM: Scripting to the Standard Series:
DOM: Scripting to the Standards - Part 1
DOM: Scripting to the Standards - Part 2
DOM: Scripting to the Standards - Part 3
CMXMail: Creating a Generic Mail Class in PHP - Part 1
Reader Level:
PHP has a lot of built-in functions, but for dealing with emails it is not the most friendly language, including only a generic mail() function. You have to create your own mail headers, set up separate text and HTML messages if you want to send multipart messages, and add your own attachment code. One way around this is to use an email class to handle setting up the messages and sending them so that you don't have to create custom headers each time you use the mail() function. Part 1 of this tutorial will show how to create a basic class that you can later add to.
Reader Level:
PHP has a lot of built-in functions, but for dealing with emails it is not the most friendly language, including only a generic mail() function. You have to create your own mail headers, set up separate text and HTML messages if you want to send multipart messages, and add your own attachment code. One way around this is to use an email class to handle setting up the messages and sending them so that you don't have to create custom headers each time you use the mail() function. Part 1 of this tutorial will show how to create a basic class that you can later add to.
Handling File Uploads With PHP
Reader Level:
Whether you want to give your web site visitors the ability to manage their own content or simply to post pictures for personal photo galleries, knowing how to handle file upload forms is an important and extremely useful skill to have. In this article, we'll take a look at how file uploads work and how to handle them in PHP.
Reader Level:
Whether you want to give your web site visitors the ability to manage their own content or simply to post pictures for personal photo galleries, knowing how to handle file upload forms is an important and extremely useful skill to have. In this article, we'll take a look at how file uploads work and how to handle them in PHP.
Creating a Subscribe / Unsubscribe Feature Using PHP and MySQL
Reader Level:
Want to add a mailing list to your site? Learn how to do just that by enabling people to subscribe and unsubscribe via a PHP interface with a MySQL database. This article shows you how you can create a database, send automatic emails when people subscribe and unsubscribe, validate email addresses with JavaScript, and more.
Reader Level:
Want to add a mailing list to your site? Learn how to do just that by enabling people to subscribe and unsubscribe via a PHP interface with a MySQL database. This article shows you how you can create a database, send automatic emails when people subscribe and unsubscribe, validate email addresses with JavaScript, and more.
Using Image Metadata in PHP - Part 2
Reader Level:
In Part 1 we took at look how to read metadata from images in PHP using the JPEG-Meta class. This time around we take a look at how to use the same class to write and update metadata back to our images, giving us a complete JPEG metadata solution for our PHP applications.
Reader Level:
In Part 1 we took at look how to read metadata from images in PHP using the JPEG-Meta class. This time around we take a look at how to use the same class to write and update metadata back to our images, giving us a complete JPEG metadata solution for our PHP applications.
Using Image Metadata in PHP
Reader Level:
The rise of the digital camera has brought significant changes to the way in which we interact with and experience images. Most web-based photo galleries though don't begin to explore the full potential of digital pictures. This week we'll take a look at the importance of metadata, and how we can use it in PHP to make our digital images more portable, better organized, and more effective to our viewers.
Reader Level:
The rise of the digital camera has brought significant changes to the way in which we interact with and experience images. Most web-based photo galleries though don't begin to explore the full potential of digital pictures. This week we'll take a look at the importance of metadata, and how we can use it in PHP to make our digital images more portable, better organized, and more effective to our viewers.
A Clean Start: The New PHP 5 SOAP Extension
Reader Level:
PHP 5 now comes with its own SOAP extension, and that makes implementing cross-platform web services solutions easier than ever. This article will show you how to enable and use the new extension to create a basic web service client that taps the power of Google's Search API.
Reader Level:
PHP 5 now comes with its own SOAP extension, and that makes implementing cross-platform web services solutions easier than ever. This article will show you how to enable and use the new extension to create a basic web service client that taps the power of Google's Search API.
PHP Server Communications Using cURL
Reader Level:
In today's world of web services and real-time inter-server communications, it's easy to get lost in the wide array of possibilities and technologies that are available for server-side data sharing. In PHP, the ability to use Client URLs directly inside regular scripts provides a powerful but simple solution to a wide variety of server communications scenarios. In this article, we'll take a look at what Client URLs are, how they work, and some of the ways they can be used to create a more complete web experience for end users.
Reader Level:
In today's world of web services and real-time inter-server communications, it's easy to get lost in the wide array of possibilities and technologies that are available for server-side data sharing. In PHP, the ability to use Client URLs directly inside regular scripts provides a powerful but simple solution to a wide variety of server communications scenarios. In this article, we'll take a look at what Client URLs are, how they work, and some of the ways they can be used to create a more complete web experience for end users.
Parallel PHP: Running PHP 4 and PHP 5 on the Same Computer - Part 2
Reader Level:
The advances in PHP 5 take the language to a new level, yet most of the world is still running PHP 4. Here's how to have the best of both worlds on one development machine. Part 1 of this article showed you how to add PHP 5 to an existing PHP 4 installation on OS X, and seamlessly switch between the two. Now, Part 2 shows you how to do the same on Windows.
Reader Level:
The advances in PHP 5 take the language to a new level, yet most of the world is still running PHP 4. Here's how to have the best of both worlds on one development machine. Part 1 of this article showed you how to add PHP 5 to an existing PHP 4 installation on OS X, and seamlessly switch between the two. Now, Part 2 shows you how to do the same on Windows.
Parallel PHP: Running PHP 4 and PHP 5 on the Same Computer - Part 1
Reader Level:
The advances in PHP 5 take the language to a new level, yet most of the world is still running PHP 4. Here's how to have the best of both worlds on one development machine. Part 1 of this article shows you how to add PHP 5 to an existing PHP 4 installation on OS X, and seamlessly switch between the two. Part 2 will show you how to do the same on Windows.
Reader Level:
The advances in PHP 5 take the language to a new level, yet most of the world is still running PHP 4. Here's how to have the best of both worlds on one development machine. Part 1 of this article shows you how to add PHP 5 to an existing PHP 4 installation on OS X, and seamlessly switch between the two. Part 2 will show you how to do the same on Windows.
MySQL Command Line Tips
Reader Level:
MySQL is all the rage these days, and with good reason: its price/power ratio can't be matched. And there are a lot of well-engineered GUI interfaces to make MySQL administration easy. But the fact remains that MySQL's native interface is the command line, and sometimes the command line is the only way to go.
This article walks you through basic MySQL command-line options on diverse operating systems, and shows you how to get up close and personal with MySQL on your local machine and your remote server.
Reader Level:
MySQL is all the rage these days, and with good reason: its price/power ratio can't be matched. And there are a lot of well-engineered GUI interfaces to make MySQL administration easy. But the fact remains that MySQL's native interface is the command line, and sometimes the command line is the only way to go.
This article walks you through basic MySQL command-line options on diverse operating systems, and shows you how to get up close and personal with MySQL on your local machine and your remote server.
Working with Times and Dates In PHP
Reader Level:
One of the most common tasks to perform with server-side scripting is the automation of management and site maintenance over time. In this article we'll take a look at how PHP handles time and date values and how they can be used to make your PHP projects more automated and self-reliant.
Reader Level:
One of the most common tasks to perform with server-side scripting is the automation of management and site maintenance over time. In this article we'll take a look at how PHP handles time and date values and how they can be used to make your PHP projects more automated and self-reliant.
Creating A Photo Blog in PHP - Part 2
Reader Level:
What good is a blog with no content? Not much good I'm afraid! So today, we will solve your problem of having no content. Today, we are going to setup the pages that will allow you to not only add new entries, but manage them as well, either through editing existing blog entries, or by deleting ones you don't like.
Reader Level:
What good is a blog with no content? Not much good I'm afraid! So today, we will solve your problem of having no content. Today, we are going to setup the pages that will allow you to not only add new entries, but manage them as well, either through editing existing blog entries, or by deleting ones you don't like.
Manipulating Images On The Fly With PHP
Reader Level:
Server-side scripting has made HTML pages dynamic and adaptable, but for the most part has left the tasks of graphic updates and manipulation up to the hard working web developer. Thanks to the simple, yet powerful, image manipulation functions built into PHP though, those hours of repetitive graphic updates can be spent on better things. This article provides an introduction to PHP's image capabilities and gives you a solid foundation of how to create, work with, and save images from within PHP.
Reader Level:
Server-side scripting has made HTML pages dynamic and adaptable, but for the most part has left the tasks of graphic updates and manipulation up to the hard working web developer. Thanks to the simple, yet powerful, image manipulation functions built into PHP though, those hours of repetitive graphic updates can be spent on better things. This article provides an introduction to PHP's image capabilities and gives you a solid foundation of how to create, work with, and save images from within PHP.
Communicating Between PHP and JavaScript
Reader Level:
One of the great mysteries of web coding seems to be trying to figure out how, if possible, you can pass information from a server-side scripting lanuage (PHP) to a client-side language (JavaScript); and even more elusively, how to pass information back again. In this article, we're going to solve the age old riddle and discover several possible solutions to the problem.
Reader Level:
One of the great mysteries of web coding seems to be trying to figure out how, if possible, you can pass information from a server-side scripting lanuage (PHP) to a client-side language (JavaScript); and even more elusively, how to pass information back again. In this article, we're going to solve the age old riddle and discover several possible solutions to the problem.
Invitations: The 21st Century Way!
Reader Level:
Traditionally, invitations to an event, such as a wedding or a technology show, are sent out via postal mail. Sometimes, invitations get lost in the process, or they are misplaced by the recipient. Today, I will show you how to create an RSVP script that will allow you to manage all your RSVPs without having to incur the expense of stamps or worse, lost invitations!
Reader Level:
Traditionally, invitations to an event, such as a wedding or a technology show, are sent out via postal mail. Sometimes, invitations get lost in the process, or they are misplaced by the recipient. Today, I will show you how to create an RSVP script that will allow you to manage all your RSVPs without having to incur the expense of stamps or worse, lost invitations!
Setting Up A Testing Server For The PHP Server Model
Reader Level:
Once you have created your site in Dreamweaver MX 2004, you have the option of testing it locally for any bugs, errors or to make changes to the way your pages display in the browser. This is usually done before the site is uploaded to the server. However, in order to test your site locally before uploading, you need to set up a testing server. This article will show you in detail how to setup a testing server in Dreamweaver MX 2004 for the PHP server model.
Reader Level:
Once you have created your site in Dreamweaver MX 2004, you have the option of testing it locally for any bugs, errors or to make changes to the way your pages display in the browser. This is usually done before the site is uploaded to the server. However, in order to test your site locally before uploading, you need to set up a testing server. This article will show you in detail how to setup a testing server in Dreamweaver MX 2004 for the PHP server model.
User Authentication in Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004
Reader Level:
The User Authentication server behavior built into Dreamweaver MX 2004 can help you password protect sections of your site, such as an administration panel, or other areas that you want only specific users to have access to. As such, the User Authentication server behavior is a great tool for accomplishing this. In Part 1 we will go over setting up the User Authentication login form. In Part 2, we'll take an in depth look at the code produced when we use this behavior in a PHP page, and explain how everything works.
Reader Level:
The User Authentication server behavior built into Dreamweaver MX 2004 can help you password protect sections of your site, such as an administration panel, or other areas that you want only specific users to have access to. As such, the User Authentication server behavior is a great tool for accomplishing this. In Part 1 we will go over setting up the User Authentication login form. In Part 2, we'll take an in depth look at the code produced when we use this behavior in a PHP page, and explain how everything works.
The New Dreamweaver MX 2004 Application Group
Reader Level:
In this article we will look at the new Application group from the currently available Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004. The Application group, and its related panels, contain everything you need to start building a database-driven website. Its user friendly interface will make short, and easy, work of working with databases.
Reader Level:
In this article we will look at the new Application group from the currently available Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004. The Application group, and its related panels, contain everything you need to start building a database-driven website. Its user friendly interface will make short, and easy, work of working with databases.
Delivering Browser Specific Styles with PHP
Reader Level:
As an agreed and recognized standard Cascading Style Sheets are an everyday part of a web developer's life. However, many developers still rely on the use of either browser trickery or client-side JavaScript to send the right stylesheet information to the right browser. While this will quite often work, newer browsers, and the ability to disable client-side Javascript means that you run the very serious risk of sending the wrong stylesheet, or even worse, no stylesheet at all. In this article we explore the use of server-side PHP code in determining which stylesheet should be presented to which browser, and all before your visitor receives anything from your website.
Reader Level:
As an agreed and recognized standard Cascading Style Sheets are an everyday part of a web developer's life. However, many developers still rely on the use of either browser trickery or client-side JavaScript to send the right stylesheet information to the right browser. While this will quite often work, newer browsers, and the ability to disable client-side Javascript means that you run the very serious risk of sending the wrong stylesheet, or even worse, no stylesheet at all. In this article we explore the use of server-side PHP code in determining which stylesheet should be presented to which browser, and all before your visitor receives anything from your website.
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