W. Jason Gilmore

I’m very pleased to announce the the release of “Easy PHP Websites with the Zend Framework”. The release coincides with the launch of EasyPHPWebsites.com, a website which over time I hope to turn into an indispensable stop for programmers wishing to expand their knowledge of the PHP language.

“Easy PHP Websites with the Zend Framework” offers readers a comprehensive introduction to the powerful Zend Framework, an open source Web framework which makes Web development fun. Over the course of 14 chapters, readers are introduced to the Zend Framework’s key features, including topics such as forms processing, template management, the Zend_Db component, the Zend_Auth component, which makes creating user registration and account management features a breeze. To keep the subject matter really engaging, readers follow along with the development of a video game social networking website loosely based on the very same code which runs http://www.gamenomad.com/. You can review the book’s table of contents here: http://www.easyphpwebsites.com/zfw/toc.

All purchases include an immediately accessible DRM-free PDF, and if you’ve opted for the print option, your book will arrive at your doorstep (U.S. only) within days!

Saving the best news for last, every reader of “Easy PHP Websites with the Zend Framework” has on-demand access to almost **5 hours** (4.86 hours to be exact!) of supplemental videos, introducing topics such as web form processing, configuring Zend_Db model relations, Script.aculo.us, Prototype, object-oriented programming with PHP, sending e-mail using PHP, and much, much more. You can learn more about the videos here: http://www.easyphpwebsites.com/zfw/videos.

To celebrate the book’s publication, the first 50 readers to use the code launchparty will be able to purchase the book for just $27! (U.S. only) If you’re outside of the U.S., or prefer the PDF, use the code ebooklaunch to buy the PDF for just $18! Either way, you’ll have online access to all of the companion videos!

I’ve been working on a few side projects, among them a video game collection social network named GameNomad (http://www.gamenomad.com/). GameNomad makes it easy for you and your friends to keep tabs on each others’ video game collections, and even ask to borrow games directly through the interface. Of course, registration is free, so I invite you to head over to the site, register, and tell your friends.

For instance, you can see my gamer profile and collection here:
http://www.gamenomad.com/gamers/profile/wjgilmore

I’m still working out a few bugs (including a few performance issues, and of course the ever present cross-browser CSS problems), so if you encounter an issue I’d appreciate an e-mail (jason AT gamenomad.com).

Jason

Try as I have over the years, I’ve never felt particularly compelled to blog. I think part of the problem has to do with the fact I generally spend the majority of my day either writing or editing in the first place, leaving me with little interest in adding to the already large pile. However, I’m cognizant of the importance of effectively communicating information to readers, and think I’ve found a particularly compelling way to do so: Twitter! Twitter’s constraining environment makes it the perfect solution for quickly and easily communicating PHP and MySQL tips, tricks, link, and other book-related information to readers.

I invite you to start following the book’s officialTwitter companion at http://www.twitter.com/begphpandmysql. Even if you’re not a reader, PHP and MySQL users may occasionally uncover a useful gem.

Packt Publishing’s invitation to review “Mastering phpMyAdmin 2.11 for Effective MySQL Management” was admittedly met with a bit of skepticism. Although I’m certainly grateful they think highly enough of my opinion to warrant an invitation, I wondered whether a book on this particular topic was even merited. Having used phpMyAdmin for the past 10 years, largely because it’s so incredibly user friendly, it struck me as a bit odd somebody would even need an introductory book in order to effectively use the software. However, after spending a few weeks with the book, I’m pleased to report my skepticism was unfounded, and in fact it even taught this old dog a few new tricks along the way!

Ringing in at just 318 pages, this book bucks the trend of attempting to cover every topic under the sun, wasting no time with unnecessary introductions to the concept of open source and lengthy historical perspective. Instead, the author (Marc Delisle) jumps almost directly into coverage of the installation and configuration process, along the way detailing security-specific steps you might consider in order to protect data and limit access.

Chapters 3 through 6 cover what you might expect, showing you how to create databases, populate tables with data, and query the tables. Although the beauty of phpMyAdmin is that understanding how to complete such tasks is obvious even to newcomers, within these chapters you will find several very useful tips and tricks, such as how to tweak the configuration for more effective data input and browsing, creating indexes, and optimizing tables.

Chapters 7 through 17 are in my opinion the most valuable of the book, as they introduce phpMyAdmin features you’re likely not going to immediately grasp or even know exist. Among many topics, you’ll learn how to effectively import and export data, use the table designer, and create bookmarks which allow you to easily execute commonly used queries. I learned quite a bit about phpMyAdmin within these chapters, for instance I had no idea you could export SQL data to YAML and even LaTeX, and now use the bookmark feature more effectively than ever before.

Chapter 18 introduces phpMyAdmin features specifically tied to MySQL 5.0. In this chapter you’ll learn how to create and manage views, stored procedures, and triggers. Finally, chapters 19 and 20 present short introductions to MySQL administration using the phpMyAdmin interface, and to troubleshooting, respectively.

Perhaps my only gripe is one of an editorial nature. Although phpMyAdmin is by now a rather mature project, development does continue, with version 3.0 having been released in September, 2008. The decision to include in the title the version of phpMyAdmin available at the time of the book’s publication (2.11) strikes me as very odd, in particular because it could lead some prospective readers to believe the book is no longer relevant given the current release number of 3.1.0. I raise this point because on the contrary this book is still quite relevant today, and still worth picking up whether you’re  a newcomer to the project or a seasoned user such as myself.

In closing, if you’re tasked with managing a MySQL database and have chosen phpMyAdmin as your management solution, “Mastering phpMyAdmin 2.11 for Effective MySQL Management” is clearly a valuable addition to your technical library. Head on over to Amazon.com to purchase a copy today! Or click here to learn more about the book via the Packt Publishing website.

Three years ago this week were on the verge of hosting our first CodeMash (http://www.codemash.org/). As I recall, there were less than 100 attendees registered at the time. Needless to say, that Christmas was one spent with a slightly sickening twinge in the organizers’ stomachs, as we wondered whether anybody would show up for the event. In the end, the procrastinators came to our rescue and registered, and the event wound up hosting over 200 attendees. We learned a lot about the conference “business” (although we’re not a business per se, CodeMash is a all-volunteer non-profit organization), and decided to host a second event in January, 2008.

Once again, no limbs were lost, and this past June we began organizing an even larger event, this time with an extra day of 1/2 day tutorials, full day tutorials, and a CodeJam, and a 7th track (bringing us to a total of 63 sessions scheduled over two days).The ensuing response has been so strong that this morning we shut off the site’s registration feature, as we’re bursting at the seams with a whopping 525 registered.

Needless to say, we’re particularly excited about the forthcoming event. I look forward to hanging out next month in the warm tropical climes of the Kalahari, and checking out the latest-and-greatest in technology!

Jason

A few months ago I had the distinct honor of peeking at Simpli5, a Web-based inventory, order, and customer management solution targeting small- and medium-sized businesses. Project cofounder Josh Walsh publicly announced the launch today. If you’re in the market for a powerful low cost solution for managing these key business processes, Simpli5 is worth investigating.

In the latest installment of my Developer.com series, I discuss the trials and tribulations involved in sending e-mail from a PHP script, and outline three solutions for streamlining the process.

» Read the tutorial

After a brief respite I’m back on track writing tutorials for Developer.com. In the latest installment, you’ll learn about OpenID, including how to create your own OpenID account, and finally, how to integrate OpenID authentication into the Zend Framework:

Read the tutorial

I use Google’s business e-mail hosting service, and although it’s wired into Outlook, generally speaking I use the Web-based interface. For the past few days, I’ve been receiving this ad at the top of the page:

 Bacon Lovers’ Talk - www.BaconTalk.com - A celebration of bacon! Join the community today

I like bacon, but don’t regularly talk about it in e-mail, leaving me wondering why Google has decided to push the matter. Of course, given such aggressive marketing I was forced to check out the site, and had no idea there was so much to talk about when it comes to bacon…

Jason

Today marks the start of the speaker selection process for the forthcoming CodeMash 2009 event. To say the least we’re stunned by the interest this year, with over 260 280 abstracts submitted to fill approximately 50 slots. Given all the interest, we’ve already added one additional track, bringing the event to a total of seven simultaneous tracks. Combined with the open spaces event, three keynotes, sponsor sessions, and the new “day 0″ precompiler event, we’re looking at a very exciting three days in January!