PHPdoc to the rescue!

If you write your application with PHPdoc in mind, then your documentation will be done when the application is! All you need to do is comment your functions/methods using the correct form, and PHPdoc will handle all the documentation.

For those who are more familiar with Java, this may sound familiar (and for good reason). This is PHP’s version of JavaDoc. So if you’ve used JavaDoc before then phpDoc will be a breeze.

Check out their site at http://www.phpdoc.org/ for more. Enjoy!

This post is from Ryan Price’s blog.

How to Easily Document Your PHP Code

Not only does this create a getter and setter method for each attribute, but it also means that no maintenance to getter and setter methods are required when you add or remove attributes at a later point.

Lets take a look at a sample class called Picture which simply describes an image that is stored on the server at some URL.

class Picture {

	protected $id;
	protected $type;
	protected $width;
	protected $height;
	protected $name;
	protected $url;

	public function setID($id) {
		if (!$this->id) {
			$this->id = $id;
		}
	}

	/**
	 * This serves as the default getter and setter methods for all attributes that don't expressively have one
	 *
	 * @param unknown_type $name
	 * @param unknown_type $args
	 * @return unknown nothing
	 */
	public function __call($name, $args) {
		if (preg_match('/^(get|set)(w+)/', strtolower($name), $match) && $attribute = $this->validateAttribute($match[2])) {
			if ('get' == $match[1]) {
				return $this->$attribute;
			} else {
				$this->$attribute = $args[0];
			}
		} else {
			throw new Exception('Call to undefined method Bookmark::'.$name.'()');
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Validates that the attribute is part of the class
	 *
	 * @param unknown_type $name name of the attribute
	 * @return unknown returns the name of the attribute
	 */
	protected function validateAttribute($name) {
		if (in_array(strtolower($name), array_keys(get_class_vars(get_class($this))))) {
			return strtolower($name);
		}
	}
}

The code above in __call() and validateAttribute is used as the getter and setter functions for any attribute which does not already have a getter or setter defined. This is important to note. __call() is only used as a last resort. Therefore, if you want to create a getter or setter that behaves differently then normal it is not a problem. In fact, that is exactly what I have done for setID.

In this case, the ID is not something we want to be overridden once it is set. In my case, the purpose of this ID was to identify the picture’s ID in the database. So once the ID is set (likely when the object is created), the ID can no longer be changed.

Feel free to leave questions in the comments, I’ll be happy to answer.

This post is from Ryan Price’s blog.

How to Automatically Create Getter and Setter Methods in PHP

This meant that I had to make sure my code was as efficient as possible. Last night I took the time out to go through the code to ensure I hadn't overlooked anything. Turns out I had, and it was causing max_user_connections to be exceeded (meaning some people would have problems accessing the game at certain points).

So in order to save yourself the hassle of going through your code like I did, let me help you cut the problem off at the pass and avoid it all together with a few simple rules:

1. Open your connections just before you run the query, and close them immediately after.

I was opening the connection at the beginning of a file, and then closing it at the end. This meant that I was unnecessarily tying up a connection (and I only get 15) while information was being processed.

2. Put your DB connection code in a function

This ties in with the first suggestion. Many people include the connection code in a header file or similar to ensure that the database connection is there when they need it. This is inefficient. Put your connection code into a function, call the function, and return the connection resource.

3. Remember that its not only mysql_query() that needs a connection!

If you're using forms at all, you should be ensuring that they are secure before you use it in the database. What many people don't know is that mysql_real_escape_string() needs an active connection to the database to work, so make sure that you have an open connection before using this function.

This post is from Ryan Price's blog.

How to Avoid Problems with max_user_connections in PHP/SQL with 3 Simple Rules

There are so many gallery scripts out there for PHP you may be wondering why I'm even bothering with a how-to on this subject. Well, if you're like me then you often need a quick and simple gallery rather than trying to use pre-made scripts that require heavy integration into your design. Here's how I do it.

As with all the articles I write here, this is something I've used before when creating sites for clients. To see an example of what we'll be creating you can visit ReachingIntoHeaven.com's gallery page.

That gallery has a few bells and whistles that you may not need, so I'll be toning things down to start. However, if you're interested in the bells and whistles I will also briefly cover a few quick ideas on how you can increase the usefulness and eye-appeal of this little script.

Here's an overview of the steps we'll be taking:

• How to store your images to make life easier
• Creating the template
• Adding the functionality with PHP
• Bonus: Adding the razzle-dazzle

This post is from Ryan Price's blog.

How to Create a Quick Image Gallery in PHP

The main reason you want to preload images is when they are being used for mouse-over or roll-over effects. If they're not displayed by the page when it loads then the page will wait until the image is needed to load it. However, this can result in a delay to the mouse-over/rollover effect while the image loads. In steps the preload.

Before we dig into how this works, I'll provide the finished code for those who just want to copy and paste. As always, click the "PLAIN TEXT" above the code to view it in a copy & paste friendly format. For those who want to know how it works, read on.

To implement it, place it in the head section of your document like so:

images is the location of the images directory (in this case, its at the same level as the file that the javascript code is in). You may have to change this to match yours.

Note: This assumes that all files in the directory and sub-directories are images

Now lets go through the code and analyze whats happening.

This post is from Ryan Price's blog.

How to Preload an Entire Directory of Images Using Javascript and PHP

Object Oriented Programming (OOP) can be extremely handy in many situations. A class is a way of grouping all the variables and functions relating to a specific object in one place. If you read that sentence and went Huh? don't worry. I found that Object Oriented Programming and dealing with classes to be one of the more difficult concepts to initially understand. I'm not sure why I had trouble with it but now that I've become comfortable with the idea and using classes it is without doubt something every web developer needs in their arsenal of abilities.

Before we jump into my particular example it is important to ensure that we are all on the same page when it comes to OOP terminology. The big 2:

1. Class - A class is the framework template for your thing (object). That is, it is the template from which all objects will be built. Classes contain two main parts:
   • Variables/Attributes/Properties: The variables describe characteristics shared by all objects. Take dogs for example. How would you describe your dog (or a friend's) to someone else?You would probably let them know its name, size, gender, and color for starters. These are all attributes or properties that every dog has, but they vary from dog to dog.
   • Functions/Methods: A function describes actions that the object can perform. Continuing our dog example, we would use functions such as walk, bark, and sleep in order to tell our virtual dog what to do.

   So a class might look something like this:

   PLAIN TEXT
   PHP:

   1. class Dog {
   2. var $gender;
   3. var $size;
   4. var $name;
   5. var $color;
   6.  
   7. function bark() {
   8. //bark stuff here
   9. }
   10.  
   11. function walk() {
   12. //walk stuff here
   13. }
   14.  
   15. function goToSleep() {
   16. //sleep stuff here
   17. }
   18. }

2. Object: A particular instance of a class. If the class was our generalized framework for what a dog may be, an object is a specific instance of that class. For example we could have one object of our dog class, call it dog1, where the gender is male, the size is large, the name is Rex, and the color is black. We could then have another object using the same framework, call it dog2, where the gender is male, the size is medium, the name is Champ, and the color is brown. Both dog1 and dog2 are objects of the same class, but they hold different values.

Hopefully that gives you a general understanding of what the difference between a class and an object are. Now lets move on to a real-life example where I've used classes and objects to make my life a little easier: Generating large amounts of announcements.

This post is from Ryan Price's blog.

How to Create a Class in PHP

Connecting to a MS Access Database using PHP is actually fairly straight-forward as long as you are using the right set-up. It is my understanding that you have to be either running a Windows server or be running PHP and Apache on your local windows system.

The first thing you need to do is create what is called the ODBC Connection. If you're using your local machine, like I am, or have access to your windows server then you can follow these steps:

1. Open Administrative Tools: Start --> Control Panel --> Administrative Tools
2. Open the Add Screen: Double-click Data Sources (ODBC) --> click the Add tab --> Select Microsoft Access Driver --> Finish
3. Select your database: Click Select and find your database --> Name your Database (DSN) --> OK

If you don't have direct access to the server you'll have to ask your administrator to do this for you. Make sure you provide them with the path to the database you want set up as well as the name you want to use.

Our Access database is now ready to be connected to using PHP...

This post is from Ryan Price's blog.

How to Connect to an Access Database Using PHP

This tutorial will demonstrate how to use PHP to recursively delete a directory. That is, the directory and anything contained within it will be deleted.

If you just need the function and are not interested in how it works its available below. Click "Plain Text" to see the code in a form it can be copied and pasted. The function returns true on success and false on failure. An explanation on what exactly is happening follows the code.

Now, let's dissect how this works...

This post is from Ryan Price's blog.

How to Recursively Delete a Directory Using PHP