PHP Programming Tips

Being a programmer

The want of becoming of a programmer all starts with taking introductory classes that cater to the study of basics in programming. These classes should help one develop two important aspects namely logic and discrete Mathematics which are essential in any programming career. The next thing to be done is understand other aspects of programming which includes its involved database, system, and languages. This should be done mainly because through understanding those things, one can identify which type of programming is fit for him or her which is actually the next step. There are varying types of programmers and these include desktop application programmer which focuses on operating systems, system programmer which deals with drivers and software, and web programmer. Lastly, when one is assured of what to pursue, one can then focus on learning the details of that chosen specialization which includes technologies and programming languages to be used.

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Learning Computer programming

Learning computer programming requires two important aspects namely time and effort. It is a must that before even trying to learn the basic codes, one has that willingness to sacrifice time and other priorities. This is the case because computer programming is never easy to learn. Every code has varying use, result, and applications which should be understood in detail by any programmer. Effort and initiative, on the other hand, are the secrets to one being successful in this field. These are needed since learning and mastering computer programming is a long procedure that involves the need of much practice. Practicing is not required from for instance, a professor or a school. This will only be possible if one has the initiative. It is important to known that, learning computer programming is possible to anyone even those that have the least knowledge on computers. One should simply have that willingness to sacrifice time, effort, and initiative. Success will definitely follow.

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Downsides of Computer programming

Computer programming is known for its immeasurable contribution to the online community and to the world of technologies. Users are highly dependent to such programming because it caters to several usages that appear to be of great benefit. Taking all those benefits and advantages aside, it is as well important for every user to be aware of the disadvantages that go with computer programming. First downside focuses on the increasing forms of viruses. As we all know, programmers are responsible for varying websites, systems, and programs. These are all products of their effort and definitely took much time to finish but due to prevalent viruses, these works at one instant can be infected and destroyed. Another is that computer programming must always be perfect. This pertains to the need of having completely correct codes and executing the procedure perfectly. This is important because a simple mistake or one missing code can lead to system errors and even breakdown.

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Online computer programming courses

There are varying reasons behind one’s choice of becoming a computer programmer. There are those that simply have the skills, others are just very eager to learn more about computers, while of course, those that want to earn big. These varying reasons led to the continuous demand for computer programmers which eventually made such career to be easily attained through convenient yet beneficial online computer programming courses. Why are these courses beneficial? Just like any traditional computer programming courses, these as well cater to essential learning and exposures that definitely develop one’s skills and experience. These courses as well pave way for effective yet convenient learning mainly because these are known for being flexible. Students are given the freedom to choose their own schedule and still cater to other priorities such as other work, studies, family, and even leisure. These courses are options that people with interest in computers should definitely consider.

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PHP Version Updates

The PHP development team announced 3 releases earlier this month, including the latest beta version of PHP 5.5.0. Aside fom PHP 5.5 beta 3, the other versions released this month are the PHP 5.3.24 and the PHP 5.4.14.

The PHP development team urges programmers to upgrade to the 5.4.14 version since it not only contains fixes to critical bugs, but also comes with an upgraded PCRE library. It should also be noted that while the 5.5 version is the latest version, those new to PHP programming are discouraged from using the version since it is still in beta and still contains many bugs that need to be fixed. Even experienced programmers are advised not to use the 5.5 version for projects that will go into production, unless you are ready to gamble your financial interest in your commercial project with a buggy program. If interested in trying out the beta version though it might also be wise to just wait for the next beta release of PHP 5.5.0 since it is expected to come out just a few days away on April 25.

Photo Credits

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Testing Your PHP Code Online

You might be wondering why anyone would want to test their PHP code online when you can very well just run it on your own computer. Well, the fact is that there are instances when you might find yourself without your trusty PC and unable to install anything on the current computer you are using due to limited administrative rights. When this happens, and you need to test a code you wrote, you have at least know that you have the choice of testing your code online.

Some recommended sites for testing PHP code online include the following:

1. writecodeonline.com
2. coderun.com
3. codepad.org
4. ideone.com
5. phpcodechecker.com

You can either type the code directly on the browser or type it in your text editor and copy paste it on any of the sites above. They are free and will check your code for common errors. Best of all, you can surf the internet during idle moments and do just about anything from posting on your Facebook account to checking you financial accounts.

Image via CodeRun

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Testing Your PHP Code

PHP programming is definitely not all about the coding. This is actually for programming in all kinds of languages. It is also true for any kind of PHP application you may be working on, be it a PHP-based software asset management tool, a PHP-based website, or any other software.

Of course, when programming knowing coding best practices is essential, but having an in-depth knowledge of testing tools is equally important. For PHP testing frameworks used fall under different kinds of testing such as unit testing, integration testing, functional testing, behavior-driven development tools, and generic frameworks.

Each testing tool is obviously suitable for difference scenarios although they all serve the same purpose of decreasing dependence on manual testing. This makes the testing phase go more efficiently and save a lot of resources not only in terms of time but also in manpower, with less testers needed.

As a PHP programmer, make sure you brush up on your knowledge about automated testing skills and you’ll be the one who will benefit from it in the end.

Image via SimpleTest

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Array Chunk Function

The array_chunk() function on the on the other hand as the name implies, divides an array into chunks or several tables from the source table. The syntax goes something like array_chunk(array,size,preserve_key), wherein the array is the table that would be divided, the size is the number of elements which the new arrays are to contain and the preserve key which can either be true or false is used to either retain or revise the key or pointer value of the original table. An example is shown below:

$a=array(�a�=>�Cat�, �b�=>�Dog�, �c�=>�Horse�,�d�=>�Cow�);
print_r(array_chunk($a,2);
?>

The code would have an output of:

Array (
[0] => Array ( [0] = > Cat [1] => Dog )
[1] => Array ( [0] => Horse [1] => Cow )
)

As we can see, the original array has been divided into two arrays array0 and array1 and a value that is not given for the key had it assigned a new key for each of the tables. Another example would be :

$a=array(�a�=>�Cat�, �b�=>�Dog�, �c�=>�Horse�,�d�=>�Cow�);
print_r(array_chunk($a,2,true);
?>

This would then give us ;
Array (
[0] => Array ( [a] = > Cat [b] => Dog )
[1] => Array ( [c] => Horse [d] => Cow )
)

This shows the significance of the retain key field wherein the two new arrays retained their original keys. The reverse of which would be the array_combine() which divided the array into one which holds the keys and one with the values.

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Secure PHP Scripts for Online Credit Card Transactions

Online shopping sites depend heavily on credit cards for transactions to push through. While alternative like PayPal exist, a lot of online shoppers prefer the convenience of being able to use their credit cards without having to top up their PayPal accounts, much less go through the hassle of other payment options like sending in a check.

e-Commerce sites, however, need to be very careful when it comes to accepting credit card details because alarming security gaps can cause bigger legal problems since this is people’s financial information we are talking about. This is why the PHP script you use to securely accept credit card details online is very important. You can always have a custom-made PHP script developed for this particular purpose, but there are already some good commercial scripts out there like PHP Credit Card. Whatever code you do use for an e-Commerce shop though, make sure that security is the main priority.

Image via PHP Credit Card

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Sound Advice for Beginners

If you are new to PHP programming and wish to use your new found skills for an e-commerce site, you might do well to use an existing PHP-based e-commerce solution (e.g. Magento, Shopify, Zen Cart) instead of attempting to build your own from the ground up. This is especially true if you are on a deadline.

The truth is that while it is an excellent idea to practice your coding skills and not just learn in theory, the last thing you want is to go live with a buggy e-commerce site. This is true whether the e-commerce site sell something that people find as trivial as shoe strings or stuff that people are very particular about like wedding dresses and wedding rings. The point is that people who use the e-commerce site, both owner and customers, expect the site to work well so that nothing will go wrong with their purchases.

So practice all you want, but until you are sure that you can come up with a better solution than existing ones, then keep your efforts under wraps.

Image via Magento

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