I'm mostly on the creating and not programming side of things on the website. So I was wondering if there were any tips that I should be aware of that will help me select a good php programmer who will help me out on a project. My project is essentially this: I have joomla installed and not developed yet and I have another script that is kindof like a database compiler almost, so it compiles parts and everything and allows people to look and rate and comment and so on. My problem is I'm not sure how to integrate the two together. So that CMS/Joomla is the main editing/backend and that the pages that the other one develops goes smoothly into that one. I've seen a few websites that have similiar datafeeds and they tend to work out good (amazon I believe works like this) but since I don't have thousands of dollars to throw around- I need to find a way to integrate the two. 1. any tips on how I could do it myself with php 2. if joomla may not be the best for this let me know I've used it a few times in a 'set it, write content and change the pictures' sort of way nothign this complicated fo rme 3. tips for qualified programmers- years of programming, projects they've done in the past...so on. Since I'm not sure how complicated of a task this is, I'm hoping digital points smart people can help me.
Combining things that were not meant to work together is always a bitch. It will cost you a lot and you 'll have trouble getting someone good enough to do it. So, best to find a Joomla plugin that does more or less what you need and extend that.
would I be able to integrate into a more of a static webpage that is in php format? that way i'm not dealing with both joomla's database system and the other programs?
1) Hire a programmer and let him decide what to use and how to use it. (Unless you're the kind who tells your doctor what to operate on and how to do the operation.) 2) You want someone who can show you sites s/he's developed that use database back ends and do a lot of data manipulation. When I'm hiring I look for a minimum of 5 years paid PHP and SQL development for a back end developer.
I wouldn't limit your self to just 5 years though. There are some people out there that just blow me away and when asked how long they have been doing it they say maybe a year or two at max. Although, 5 years is a good place to start. You should consider learning it your self also. When I started working on my site I had a set goal that I wanted to say "I made that on my own" when I was done. Now that its starting to get to where I could open it to other people the sense of satisfaction I have is extremely rewarding. You will also know how to fix errors that WILL come up later down the road if you know what is going on behind the scenes.
Quite possibly, but I do not know how the specific system works to give you a definite response. Your programmer will be able to give you a solid response.