PHP 5.0 final release it out!

[Corey]

PHP 5.0 final release it out, check it out:

http://www.php.net

Most excellent. :yes

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[rhosk]

This looks promising as well. Any of you guys use this? Drawbacks/feedback?

XAMPP (http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html)

[rhosk]

Guess not.

[John-oh]

Yep,

Never used it.

;)

[rhosk]

Hmm, I really thought someone here would have messed with this...

Well, I took the plunge anyway and installed this app (totally free of course) and it's a nice solution for those of you creating php and/or MySQL applications in AMS and don't want to rely on a web server 'somewhere out there' to test. It has php 5.0 incorporated, but you can easily drop back to an earlier version (4.3.8) with a click of a button. And all this is done from your local hard drive/partition. It was so simple to install and run, it blew me away. I've been working on a few php projects and I was pretty tired of ftp'ing these files to my server to test.

It emulates an Apache server and has a MySQL database configured, PERL, HTTPS (SSL), CGI, SSI, and much more, including plenty of samples to play with. And all this is totally configured 'out of the box'.
Eh, thought it was a pretty good find and passed it along is all.

[JimS]

Ron,
Sounds cool! How big of a footprint does it have?

[rhosk]

I read up a little and it leaves NO registry entries/system files whatsoever - nothing, and it's about a 55MB install. To remove it, you simply delete the directory. I thought that was a nice feature as well. I put it on my F: drive and it runs without a hitch.

[Brett]

rhosk,

I downloaded it and tried it out today (XAMPP). Wow, what a great utility! If there are AMS50 developers out there who want to experiment with PHP/MySQL interaction with AMS50, this is a must-have. It allows you to experiment all you want without messing up a real Web server. Get this application and Traing CD # 3 and you will be making interactive Web applications in AMS50 a lot quicker.

[Corey]

PHP 5.0 seriously rocks. And now, since it has built in SQLite (I understand) you can port your AMS databases to your web site. Phweee!!! In fact *I'm so excited*, I could quote a point sisters' song. :yes

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[TJ_Tigger]

PHP 5.0 seriously rocks. And now, since it has built in SQLite (I understand) you can port your AMS databases to your web site. Phweee!!! In fact *I'm so excited*, I could quote a point sisters' song. :yes
Obviously you "just can't hide it".

[Intrigued]

rhosk, thank you for pointing this application out. I like that I can just setup such on my secondary hardive and test away!

rhosk,

I downloaded it and tried it out today (XAMPP). Wow, what a great utility! If there are AMS50 developers out there who want to experiment with PHP/MySQL interaction with AMS50, this is a must-have. It allows you to experiment all you want without messing up a real Web server. Get this application and Traing CD # 3 and you will be making interactive Web applications in AMS50 a lot quicker.'

Your recommendation was helpful in my decision to try this applicaton out. I hold your opinions/suggestions in high esteem.

Again, rhosk thank you for pointing this application out! It looks like it will be an excellent way to learn PHP!

Sincerely,

[Corey]

Obviously you "just can't hide it".

Indeed. It appears that I'm about to lose control but, as you might have already guessed, I think I like it. :o

Intrigued : If you have a basis in LUA or any other type of programming you will find PHP incredibly easy to learn. PHP is notoriously simple to get started with. There are several of us here with a basic command of PHP who would be happy to assist you anytime. I advise everyone to learn PHP, it will be one of the best moves you will ever make. Even if you don't take it to the advanced levels, PHP is incredibly powerful and usable. A tiny bit of PHP knowledge will allow you to create dynamic web sites, and once you can create dynamic web sites, the web is your oyster. :)

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Intrigued]

Thank you Corey. I do see a time where I will be using PHP more often. There is just so much to learn with respects to AMS and other excellent applications which a user can use in concert with AMS. But, that gives us all some objectives for future goals with regards to AMS.

Sincerely,

[Intrigued]

Corey, what book do you recommend, for a beginner to PHP 5.x, to buy?

I just finished watching a few videos (from Speedy Training Vol. 3) in the PHP section and now I am warming up to PHP 5.x and want to test a few code snippets myself. Although you move through the code quite fast (CD time restraints, I fully understand), I do believe you when you say it is not that hard to use.

Thank you in advance,

[Corey]

Well, this book on C++ has changed my view of what a good book is. Seems like all the PHP books are a bit heady and often just make such a simple topic seem difficult. When I was learning, a long time ago, I used "CORE PHP" by Leon Atkinson, it's not bad, certainly better than many of it's rival books. So that's about the best I can reccomend, at the very least it covers everything and offers a handy guide to functions.

My guess is that you will very quickly "get it" with PHP though and will take on some momentum of your own using online resources, etc. so the book is probably just to get you started I imagine. Core PHP is pretty solid. But that being said you may as well wait until you see a book on PHP 5.0 rather than 4.0, should be soon.

At any rate I promise you will never regret learning PHP. It's the most useful web language I know of. Used in conjunction with Javascript or AMS, you have a complete round-trip client-to-server scripting solution. Plus, PHP and MySQL enjoy one of the most transparent relationships of any interpreter/database combo in existence, so you will have that behind you too. :yes

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Intrigued]

Corey, thank you for your take on PHP books in general.

I believe I will do as you suggested, check online sources and then take a 'wait and see' stance with regards to PHP 5.x books soon to be published.

Sincerely,

[Corey]

Good choice. Check out Google, there's a zillion great PHP tutorials. PHP is HUGE nowadays. As always, look for a "Hello World" lesson, that will get you up and running in 5 minutes. One thing's for sure, if you aren't having any trouble with action scripting and LUA, you sure won't have any trouble with PHP. :)

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[sidd]

I have experienced where I am using a PHP script, which checks on a URL to see whether it exists and works. The user must check it before proceeding with the form. I am using the form with an AMS 5.005 browser plugin and when I check for the url the web page comes up but nothing is on it. When I do the same thing in IE, all is well with the check URL. Can you recommend something for me to use this form within my AMS 5 browser? Thank you.

[Corey]

Hi. What's the URL of the PHP script? If I can duplicate this behavior on my end then I can better envision a solution. :yes

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[sidd]

Hi Corey,

Thanks for a reply. The url is-

http://www.distribuware.com/registration/register.php

[Intrigued]

Seeing how I prefer learning from a book instead of reading off of a LCD screen (like writing notes and highlighting in books); I went ahead and purchased two PHP 5.0 books from O'Reilly.

Their pocket reference book on PHP 5 and Learning PHP 5 (ISBN: 0-596-00560-1). Then I will probable purchase Programming PHP by O'Reilly after I consume and digest these reads.

I'll let you know what I think of the books as or after I finish them, for what it is worth.

If anyone finds other PHP 5+ books they prefer, found easy to understand, etc.... please share them with us.

Sincerely,

[Corey]

Sounds cool Intrigued! :yes

Sidd, see attached example, that page seems to display OK in a browser object over here...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[sidd]

There are 5 url input fields to place urls in. The user has to check them first, and a small check url page comes up. This is not showing anything on it. Is that small page showing the url as being correct with AMS browser plugin? Thats what I am asking. Not the general form itself. That comes up fine. Is there something I have to turn on or off in IE maybe?

[Lorne]

Another book I'd recommend: PHP4 Bible, by Tim Converse and Joyce Park IIRC, published by IDG.

[Intrigued]

Another book I'd recommend: PHP4 Bible, by Tim Converse and Joyce Park IIRC, published by IDG.
Thanks Lorne.

I am slowly getting through this Learning PHP 5 book.

With all of the functions that are innate to PHP 5.0... I see some powerful options available without creating complete functions (unless one wants to) out of thin air!

It's replaced the C++ bathroom reading. I know, I should bump it back up to the beside-me-on-the-desk-reading if I am to get good with such in a reasonable amount of time.

Thanks again,

[Corey]

Remember, almost all those PHP functions are derived from C functions. PHP is, in a sense, an iteration of C I think... Anyhow I agree with you, you could easily take care of all your server scripting needs for even a very advanced application server using only native PHP functions. And it's just growing and growing.