What do you want from PHP?

I own a site called http://phpbloom.net

I am in the process of creating a PHP mini-course which will help a budding developer with the basics of the PHP Language.

Being that most of you here need help with PHP - I thought that this would be a good place to ask...

Okay - I am open to any suggestions here - be it about Session Cookies, a Simple Login, or even Integrating a site with the popular SMF forums.

I am waiting

Rich

 

I'd love to see a nice, efficient and lightweight MySQL search tutorial. Can't wait

 

You mean using MYSQL to search a site or just to search a Db?

 

Sorry for the late reply... was AFK...

Searching a site. You know, the basic search most sites have to search content in the DB and then display the results.

Also, I think you should do many MySQL tutorials. It's always difficult to find easy tutorials that explain things to newbies.

 

Okay well I can do a search one

Was looking for a wider topic to make a mini-course about?

 

PHP and MySql integration is always a good mini-course. Why not a mini-course on using database abstraction toolkits so that people could write database code which does not rely on a specific database being installed.

How about a mini-course on writing code with security in mind. This is a major problem area for new programmers and many experienced coders.

I would love to see something which clearly explains how to use Smarty templates. Something which does not simply reword the explanations out there, but something which fives a nice step by step guide to implementing the system.

People could use a mini-course on how to write code which uses the minimum amount of memory and cpu resources. Lots of people starting out have sites on shared servers. Knowing how to get the most for the least amount of machine effort would be very useful for people starting out.

Best strategies for saving state -- cookies? sessions? What to do when the user refuses to cooperate by running their browsers in a highly paranoid state?

The list is endless. . . .

 

I usually prefer the in-depth tutorial that teach you how to build a complete system as opposed as those really short tutorials that teach you short little snippets. However, I would really like to see a tutorial on how to search in a mysql database.

 

I'll second the one about writing code with security in mind!!!

 

Thanks for your ideads (especially yours Clancy) - When you say security what exactly are you looking for?

The ability to store passwords securely?
The ability to store hack-proof cookies?
Making sure accounts are totally secure?

Thanks

 

When I talk security I am talking the whole gamut.

I would start with making sure the code is secure and that it is immune from SQL and other types of injection and mis/redirection by users and that it is designed to be extremely hard, if not impossible to hack.

Then you can move on to issues about account security. However, I would say them emphasis needs to be on defining what users can and cannot do and how to fully secure the admin account.

When it domes to user account. That is a user not realer a programming issue. Coders can make rules, but they can only go so far. You cannot stop users from posting user names and password in public places and/or working on trojaned boxes.