Getting to know PHP…. again

The PHP logo displaying the Handel Gothic font.
The PHP logo displaying the Handel Gothic font. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I took a PHP programming class back in 2004, and obviously PHP has changed considerably since then. I’m “kicking” myself for not keeping up with PHP since then, and I’m trying to learn the scripting language again. My problem area is developing queries, loops, and a straight forward log-in system. The log-in script that I’ve found and using is free to use that’s found on the web.

All I want to do, is to develop apps of my own without resorting to “freely available” or “pay to use” on the web. Which could be buggy from the onset of such scripts. I know that there are places like lynda.com and others sites to learn PHP. I know that there are some Community Colleges that offer PHP class, but either way I would need to pay for these classes.

I know that PHP is one of many programing languages that the best way to learn it is by siting down and working things out. I have some time to learn it, and would like to build a project with PHP mainly to “prove” to myself that I could complete a project.

Finding someone to do this is for me, is basically saying I give up and I can’t do this.

Php programming
Php programming (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m trying to build a web-based “catalog” – well it would be a web-based “inventory” cms for my collection of books, cd’s and movies. Though there a couple of things that’s “holding” me back: patience, computer setup, and a sociological/mental block from not doing more in what’s required while working on whatever. Also, I was basically being screwed by the educational system growing up. That’s for another time and posting.

Anyway, I could be looking at the wrong places on the internet or at books for information. I’ve looked at books, php.net, and at other sites that I can’t remember at the moment. I’ve looked on how to do loops, else, else if, functions; which are my problem area’s and once I understand how to write these. Then I can start developing small PHP projects more quickly and not take months, if not longer, to get them done.

I’m not learning PHP for any professional job(s) that would required to know PHP, I am just learning it to understand on how things function in PHP.

I heard a phrase once and it went something like this: “How old would you be, if you haven’t learned anything in the course of a year?”

By knowing more information I wouldn’t be considered “knowledge poor” like I was back in high school or be viewed as I was 10 years ago, before I started college. I’ve learned some stuff but not a lot where I want to be a “knowledge rich” person. Even though I’m trying to get “knowledge rich” at the moment, seems like that I’m getting shit from every few turns that I make in daily life, and I’m beyond frustrated, though this topic is for a post for another time.

Getting back on to topic.

I would be trying to work on the design and layout of the pages for the “catalog” before working on the PHP code itself. I’m getting myself worked up and frustrated by working on the layout/design of the site and writing the PHP code at the same time.

I may post something at some point when I have this “catalog” mostly working for my CD, music and movie collections.

Bye for now….

P.S. I may edit this post at some point for errors that I may have missed.

An Update

Got a response from my hosting company, but then the way I worded the email to them wasn’t that good either. The problem that I’ve had over the July 4th weekend is that some how this site and a WordPress testing blog that I have on this site got screwed up so now both aren’t working well as they should have been.

The problem that I had over the June 4th weekend was a lot of connection error’s with the mysql server that I have with this hosting account. Though by the time the techs got to look at my account thing’s were generally stable with my blogs.

Problems with this blog might have started earlier than June 4th weekend – not sure though.

After what happened after the June 4th weekend with  this blog I’m going to back up all the stuff I need to – like files, databases, and archive mail from the web-based email app.

Once I get things setup on my other host – I’ll post some thing here before I update the dns for the site and see how things go. Hopefully the move would be a smooth transition from one host to another.

In the process of moving stuff over to my other host I discovered that I had a problem with a php script that I made sometime back.

It’s on the links page of my site that’s not working well with my other host. Though it’s time that I would need to update the code and the database for it to work again. it’s going to take time to update the code since I haven’t been working with php on a daily basis or weekly basis.

Moving sites and dealing with this type of problems – would help me to get on top of things again. A php class may or may not help as a refresher – though doing a trail and error is a good way to learn to make things work.

Anyways I’ll post another update soon.

Later

Peter