Learning PHP and MySQL

The place to discuss the development of dynamic web sites and applications with PHP and MySQL. Many ProMatrix users are moving to new development technologies. This is one alternative.

Learning PHP and MySQL

Postby JoeLawson » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:22 am

My reply to Richard Stecenko under the "idea Man" topic on the Chatter forum contains info that may be of interest to others who want to learn PHP and MySQL. Therefore, I'm reproducing the relevant parts of that reply here.
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With regard to your future development with MySQL and open source products, if a browser form interface would work for your application, I would recommend that your learn to use PHP for your web application development. PHP and MySQL are tied closely together to ease web application development. IMO, it's much easier to create a web application with PHP and MySQL than with ASP.Net.

There are frameworks such as Yii (yiiframework.com) that can give you a head start in building web applications with PHP and MySQL

A couple of years ago when I started learning PHP and MySQL, I used Robin Nixon's Learning PHP, MySQL and JavaScript to get started and found it very helpful. However, you may want to search for something newer at Amazon. There are tons of PHP, MySQL and JavaScript tutorials available on the internet for free, but a book like Nixon's ties together the basics of what you need to learn.

However, if a web application won't work for your application and you need a windows desktop app, there are frameworks for that emerging. Google something like "MySQL windows applications" to see what's out there. We're still evaluating what's available although we would like to confine our work to web applications if we can.

Working with VPME we take for granted all the unique features that VPME provides for windows GUI applications. The web application frameworks don't provide things like an active data dictionary, specialized form classes, etc.

In any event, to get started with PHP and MySQL go here http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html and download XAMPP for Windows and install it. XAMPP will install an Apace web server, a MySQL server, PHP and other goodies you'll need to learn PHP and MySQL. Also, download and install the Netbeans PHP IDE; you'll need Netbeans as you learn PHP.

I would also recommend that you download and learn Joomla!. You'll need the XAMPP installation in place before installing Joomla!. Joomla is based on PHP and MySQL and it's a great web development tool. I used it for the new ProMatrix web.

Finally, I would be delighted to discuss the various topics mentioned here with you further. Let's start using the little-used PHP and MySQL forum for those discussions.
Best,

Joe Lawson
ProMatrix
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Re: Learning PHP and MySQL

Postby stecenko » Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:22 pm

That's the conclusion I've pretty much come to. That's why I'd like to start using the MySQL toolkit: with it I think I can accelerate the learning. To me there are two things to learn: the front end (PHP) and the backend (MySQL).

By converting my existing application to VPME 9.1 with MySQL, I can concentrate on one aspect. Then, move on to PHP.

I also think that for the near future I'll be working not on pure web or pure desktop applications. I see using VPME 9.1 and MySQL; then adding PHP to make the data available to the web users perhaps for simple data entry, monitoring, or reports. For example, I have a client with a custom application for budgetting that involves a hideous mess of spreadsheets (created and imported by VPME). Each manager should be able to enter his or her budget information using a web app and to see the monthly budget/actual comparisons; but the accounting officer needs a desktop application to assemble the corporate data and to merge the monthly actuals with the budgets.
Richard Stecenko
Interactive Computer Services Inc.
Victoria, British Columbia
204.453.2052
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Re: Learning PHP and MySQL

Postby stecenko » Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:27 pm

What will the MySQL toolkit do? (in 25 words or less).
Richard Stecenko
Interactive Computer Services Inc.
Victoria, British Columbia
204.453.2052
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Re: Learning PHP and MySQL

Postby JoeLawson » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:36 pm

Briefly, the SQL Toolkits include the following:

1) The system databases and tables as remote MS SQL Server and MySQL databases and tables. The objective is to make all data remote SQL data. You can create an application that only puts non-system data into a SQL database, but our experience has been that customers want all the data taken out of VFP databases and tables.

2) Updates needed to a VPME 9.1.12a application to access the remote SQL data and to acomodate special needs when using remote SQL data. Eventually, we will have a new version of VPME 9.1 dedicated to creating apps that use remote SQL data.

3) Documentation of how and where to use VPME to create an application that uses remote SQL data.

4) Documentation of steps required to create a VPME application that uses remote SQL data.

5) Documentation of best practices in setting up non-system remote SQL databases and tables to be used with a VPME application.

6) Documentation of how to convert an existing VPME 9.1.12a application to use remote SQL data.

7) Utilities for existing VPME 9.1.12a apps to move system data to remote SQL system data.

8) A separate, private PHPBB forum to support the SQL toolkits. We intend to collaborate closely with users in further developing the SQL Toolkits in much the same way that the open source community collaborates in development. Consequently, we'll need a new PHPBB forum for that.

Sorry, I couldn't keep it to 25 words or less. :P
Best,

Joe Lawson
ProMatrix
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Re: Learning PHP and MySQL

Postby JoeLawson » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:37 pm

BTW, Richard, your strategy for moving to MySQL and PHP is perfect.
Best,

Joe Lawson
ProMatrix
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Posts: 132
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2010 8:18 pm

Re: Learning PHP and MySQL

Postby JoeLawson » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:51 pm

Also, I do recommend that you delve into Joomla! if for nothing more than getting the experience of how a successful open source community operates. You'll see that people in the open source world really do help each other -- unlike the MS world that I've inhabited for almost 20 years.

We launched ProMatrix in 1994 and quickly became a leading player in the VFP application framework world. Not once in the ensuing 16+ years did we receive any help, encouragement or direct acknowledgement from MS even though we were marketing a product that increased VFP sales. At VFP conferences we attended, the MS people treated the vendors as though MS was the customer, and an arrogant customer indeed.

The relations between the various VFP framework vendors was not cooperative.

You'll find the open source world to be much different than the MS world.
Best,

Joe Lawson
ProMatrix
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Posts: 132
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