Hi, I am taking on a project to script an entire site. Well, it is for myself, so I figured it was a great project to learn on. I have done php scripts before, contact forms, other misc type things, but never a whole site. The site will be primarily php5 and MySQL 5, with some JavaScript, and maybe a few other things tossed in if need be. I figured I will have three major sections. A main section available to all, a member's area, and an admin area. I also want it completely integrated with Paypal, and AlertPay at the least. I have my DB mostly figured out, I will probably add another table, or a few columns as I make changes, but I am sure that is normal. I will probably be asking for advice on the different parts of the script, but for now, I just want some thoughts on the best way to start is, and what I should start with. I want the site pretty secure although I wont' be dealing with credit cards, just with Paypal, and other payment processors. I also do not have plans to be selling the script, but I want to design it if I was, so I want to use templates for the site, and keep the php separate. I have looked at Smarty, and a few other template engines, but I think just a simple tag replacement template engine would do what I need. Smarty just seems to have to much other stuff. I also want to be able to use a main layout template, then each page, like the signup, login, etc. will be a sub-template inside the main template. I also want to use the $_Get to retrieve the additional pages for the site, so to get to the signup form it would be index.php?p=signup, or something similar. I have played around with this, and have it working pretty good. The page is retrieved with the $_Get, and then included in the index.php file. I will then be using only a few other files to include for site variables and site functions, these files are included in the index.php, and then seem to be available to the other pages that I retrieve with $_GET. Well, I would appreciate your thoughts, or if I should be taking a different approach to this. Thanks, Michael
my advise is, do some actual projects.. trust me theres lot of technical problem that will come.. do what you want to do first then revise it, then revise, then revise, then upgrade your coding, then upgrade until your vocabulary expands.. the ease of coding is not the point of a great system. if this is your first time to deploy a project dont deal with 3rd parties first (paypal, etc..) concentrate on php first, then mysql (stored proc, advance queries, etc..)
good start with $_GET but i suggest you might want to practice all kinds of functions that pass variables ($GLOBALS,$_SESSION,$_SERVER,$_REQUEST,$_POST,etcc......)
thanks for the tips. So basically just concentrate on the scripting, then add in the templates and such later. Well makes sense, less to fight with if something isn't working right. I will be using some of the other functions that pass variables in my script, $_SESSION for the members and admin area, $_POST for the signup and login forms, and $_SERVER to get information for tracking and logging IP's. I will be posting parts of my scripts to get people's thoughts on them. I am sure I do not know the best way to write php and MySQL, that is why I came here. I have the signup script about done and working, so that will probably be the first one I post. Thanks, Michael