I would like to implement a desktop based ticker. The ticker would display number of users that have signed up for a product on a related PHP website. This data is stored in a MySQL database. The ticker gets updated every time a new user signs up. This would be easy to implement if it was web based, can you suggest me the best way to implement this as a desktop standalone application(Rules out Yahoo widgets and Windows sidebar or Google widgets).
So far I have considered implementing using Adobe air as it brings web skills to desktop application and gives a nice look & feel to the application.
Thanks
Make a widget with JavaScript (jQuery) and let it fetch data every 1 min via AJAX from your PHP (maybe Zend or Yii) application.
If I understand you correctly, you just want a simple desktop application with just one purpose: "Display data that gets regularly updated". For this task you can use almost any language you want - to achieve platform independence, you can use java, .net (with mono) or any scripting language (even php).
There is no language that suits this simple task best, so just pick one you know (or one you want to learn).
I would use Java, but that's maybe because I have no background in creating platform independent C-code.
Maybe you could describe your idea in more detail, that might narrow it down.
Related
I'm thinking of using a php cms, a php framework or php code generator. A php cms is restricted somehow and with a php framework and a php code generator I have more freedom. But what exactly is the difference between a framework and a code generator or what do a framework share with a code generator? I'm also planning to use Scriptcase 5 for a project because I already have the licence and I don't want to use a cms or something similiar that can limit me.
With a code generator such as Scriptcase, you do not have to write PHP / HTML code to create a data-driven web application.
However, if you want to extend the default features of the web application generated by a code generator, this will be painfull and you must have both time and deep understanding on how PHP and the generated code works.
If you want to create a website/blog/publication web app => use an existing CMS (do not re-invent the wheel)
Otherwise:
If you don't have the time and/or you don't know how to develop a web application => use a code generator
If you want to create a complex web application => learn how to develop (if needed) and use a framework
CMS, framework and PHP code generator are three different beasts.
CMS is a software tool tailored to allow easy website editing/maintenance. Most CMS use databases though there are file-based ones as well. Popular CMS are Joomla, Drupal, CMSMS and Wordpress to some extent. You can use CMS to maintain your website however building a web application like Twitter or Facebook won't be possible. CMS is not a tool, this a web application.
Both framework and PHP code generator allow you to build web applications. With framework you still need to write the actual code. PHP code generator will generate 50-90% of code for you.
Lets use an analogy. You need to build a car. Writing code manually means building a car from scratch: building your engine, your transmission, writing the software for car computer etc. It will take many man years to build one.
Using framework is similar to buying DIY kit. You get engine, body, wheels and just need to assemble it. Depending on your skills this can take up to few months.
Using PHP code generator is similar to pronting your car on 3D printer. You choose the program, select make/model/options and click 'Print'. Some time later you have your car. You might be able to customize it to some extent. You can even buy another engine and replace the stock one.
And CMS is the car. You can paint it different colors, change wheels etc. If you need another car, you have to get another CMS.
If you read that far you deserve to know that the best PHP code generator on the market is PHPRunner.
Code generators are best to develop Database management systems. They save you lot of efforts in writing lengthy code for almost similar tasks. Some of the Code Generators do amazing work for you with just few clicks.
Also maintaining the project becomes very easy with these generator for everyday customers requirements
I recommend Scriptcase if you want a make simple projects with cruds and so on. For complex project you will need more flexibility and Scriptcase doesn't flexible. I worked with Scriptcase for 7 years and it's amazing.
I have a PHP website that lets users add textual information (notes, posts). I accomplish that by having a database and PHP scripts that insert, delete, edit, and share that info.
Due to the extraordinary success of this product I want to move into the mobile app space. How could I go about wrapping my PHP code in C or Objective-C so that I could re-use this when building an iOS app?
If I can't re-use my PHP code in this manner, how do I go about using C or Objective-C to connect with my database and mimic the functions of the website?
This article shows how to create a login script for an iPhone app using PHP code:
http://kiksy.tumblr.com/post/525713227/iphone-login-app-using-php-mysql-tutorial
Could something similar be done to bring across the rest of my PHP code in an iOS app?
You can not in any kind reuse your PHP code within a native iOS app. Well, at least not the part that renders the UI (HTML, Javascript). You can reuse all of your business logic (adding posts, getting overviews, deleting posts etc). This would be achieved by wrapping your business logic with a JSON or XML based interface towards your iOS app. Your iOS app would then request the data / initiate the transactions using JSON / XML and render it natively on the device. You would need to entirely rebuild your PHP-based UI part and create an Objective C / Objective C++ based version of it. This might be the right solution in case your application needs a fast, responsive and eye-candy-rich UI. Another point for creating a native app would be sales via iTunes.
You may however use a web-based app on the iOS devices by using your PHP code as a whole. For that scenario, all you will have to do is take the smaller screen and limited network bandwidth into account. Without knowing your exact demands, this solution seems to be the most appropriate one. This will allow you to quickly deploy updates and will widen the audience towards other mobile devices.
A third solution would be something that is commonly called a hybrid app. Such hybrid app uses native parts wherever the demands on UI and processing are high and web parts on the rest. Building a hybrid app will also possibly minimize the costs of implementing further versions needed for Android and other platforms, if desired. This would also allow you to sell via iTunes. From my experience however, hybrid apps suck and are tough to develop and debug as you will end up having to communicate between HTML/Javascript and Objective C/Objective C++ (namely the UIWebView). Let me get it straight, this is technically totally possible but again, from my experience the results are not as slick and funky as an entire native app. It has however become a trend to use this approach.
One suggestion would be to use a wrapper library such as this: http://www.swig.org/.
PS: Objective C and C++ can also be used with iPhone development.
You're in a new league. It's not that simple. ground up build is what you need in order to do it correctly
Take a look at http://www.appcelerator.com/ which let's you write your code in Javascript (might be easier for you, coming from web work) and compile it for iPhone and Android.
To get the data from your PHP app you will have to provide some kind of webservice.
Use phoneGap, this way you don't have to create anything from scratch. Use your URL to load into web view phone gap created and you good to go. Link: http://phonegap.com/
For the last couple of days, I have been on a jQuery frenzy literally designing everything using this wonderful library. I am planning to design a web-based social game (for deployment on social networks like Facebook) from scratch and would like some pointers on understanding how to divide the tasks i.e. to what extent should jQuery be used. Following are my thoughts. Please let me know if I am heading in the right direction.
I am envisioning the game to be a simple multiplayer game where users can compete with each other and gain points (and the game is more like role-based or static rather than a dynamic mario style game). For this most of the points-logic and book keeping should be done on the server side using PHP and MySQL. For client side rendering, I am planning to use jQuery (and have no plans of taking the Flash route). So all the interactions will be handled on the client side using jQuery and the state will be saved on the server.
Now, this is a very naive process but I was wondering if there are any resources that explain the above in more detailed steps i.e. from the perspective of designing an actual game from a multiplayer perspective keeping scalability in mind. I don't need a very complex game... even a simple Q&A game will suffice to boost my understanding of how to actually use these languages to create a good enough game. Any suggestions? Also, is it recommended to use a gaming engine when doing the game in jQuery?
Seems possible. It depends on the type of game, I'm making a 2D RPG. Although the client is for Android, I've built the editor using jQuery. There are existing game jQuery libraries you may want to look at.
Try to use the jQuery UI toolkit as much as possible. They'll make your life much easier. Specially things like Dialog.
How are you going to communicate with your server? If you need something with good speed and low latency, use websockets. (Though less browsers support it.)
Otherwise, you'll want to design your server side code in a REST style. That way you can on the browser you can use $.ajax with it's simplicity.
I don't know much about PHP because I don't use it. But if your game is not realtime you can certainly make something scalable with it. I think Zynga uses PHP for their games.
All in all, I can definetly vouch for jQuery when it comes to this. Specially if it's logic driven you can easily make a social game with it.
Also, this is optional. Make your html pages use the jQuery UI theme classes wherever possible so that the pages look good with the jQuery widgets.
Check out the screenshots at the end of my blogpost here: http://developingthedream.blogspot.com/2010/10/player-map-making-in-browser.html
jQuery shines when it comes to DOM manipulation and operations. As far as using it to power a scalable online multiplayer game...I don't know that it was built with that in mind. You might want to look at processingJS.
Last summer I learned HTML and CSS for a job, mainly through tutorials and a sort of "build this" method, that is, I'm given a goal and have to try to figure out how to build it myself.
Is there a place with some examples to teach someone with this method? My boss wants to get me going on PHP this summer, and I need to refamiliarize myself with it over the next week. Most people send me to Php.net to follow the documentation, is there another good method out there?
There is probably not a source online that lists projects that intersect with both your knowledge/ability and scope of interests.
I had success by implementing personal challenges based on stuff I wanted to do. Here are my examples:
A simple Twitter client (one text box, submits text to my Twitter account
Skills Learned : API's, cURL, webforms
A Facebook application that transferred your tweets to your Facebook stream (and filtered some)
Skills Learned : APIs, MySQL best practices (to store preferences), basic UI concerns, scheduled jobs (cron jobs), keeping a public timeline and estimation
A contest application that accepted user inputs and made a bracket that ran itself
Skills Learned : How to deal with user inputs from the web (scary!), accepting file uploads, image manipulation, user accounts (one vote per person), and how to make your own CMS/Backend for a webapp (I managed the whole contest from a panel I built for the backend)
The most valuable thing you can do is get a cheap webserver/MAMP/XAMP and just play. If you really enjoy the internet and programming, you'll come up with little tasks to try out all the time. Start whipping them up!
If you do the same thing over and over again, make your own library. Learn to include it in each project so you're not starting at scratch each time. Fail a little. Fail big!
well for my case i started my php learning (years ago) by a some basic built this systems,
start with:
guess Book
poll
news system
statistics script (how many visites per page, visitors by country,browser detection..etc)
board
CMS (content management systems)
if you understand french i can recommend a website where you can learn the basics and even more of php and mysql http://www.siteduzero.com/
good luck
PS: it's not that hard
My first real project (well, real indicating that I actually got paid to do it) was a very complex control panel for a large web hosting company. There were literally dozens of other control systems that needed to be consolidated into one 'intuitive' app. This included:
Network Monitors
Provisioning system / server control system
Support / Ticket system
Billing system
CRM
Webmail / Presence
Live chat (employee -> customer or employee -> employee)
Tie in with third party apps, like FreePBX
It had to be the most challenging assignment I have ever taken and actually completed. You can imagine how difficult it was to present a 'clean' user interface, given all of that functionality. Various components had to be able to talk to a central notification service.. E.g if you were in the network monitor, you'd be alerted that 3 new support tickets were waiting for you.
I'm not saying you should build something that elaborate, but building a control panel of some kind really helps you to learn how to avoid feature creep and teaches you how to conceptualize the end result at the beginning of the project. You'll end up with a lot of code that you can use on 'real' projects in the future, lots of experience with tools like Jquery and a firm grasp on how to build a good interface.
Invent (or think of) an industrial problem, then solve it. Acme Widgets needs your help! Control some motors, monitor some conveyors, graph supply and demand. Or, well, at least write code that could do it :) Then shrink it down into a mobile version.
I would like to know how is it possible, or what knowledge do I need to acquire to create a small Adobe AIR application, probably like a employee directory search that will search and show a list of employee names, from a application based on php/mysql?
Thanks.
First thing you need to do is the communication with php/mysql application based on JSON or XML (whoever suites you). You have to have a page like website.com/employee_list.php which returns you the XML or JSON that you call from ActionScript.
Then you need a fair knowledge of ActionScript (which isn't a very hard language if you programmed before in C or C-based languages), but don't be scared, the help covers it all.
After that you will require an IDE of choice between Flash or Flex (the second is easier to the beginners due to its large object and display library which helps you create rather fast a good looking application.
The search for employees gives you 2 options to realize it:
search made via php/mysql and you
just output the results
search
made via ActionScript searching on
the array of results obtained in 1st
step by requesting to the php/mysql
app the complete list of emplyees
The final step is just to write the code and export the project as an AIR application.
Hope that helps! :)
As an addition to Bogdan's answer, you can also program in Javascript in Adobe Air. Everything (well almost) you can do using the Flex components has a Javascript wrapper, so it is possible to write an Adobe Air app without using any Flex at all, and only using HTML/Javascript.