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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Portability - questions for new programmers

Posted by admin (Graham Ellis), 23 July 2004
PHP is highly configurable, to the extent that a PHP program developed and tested on one system may not work if it's simply copied onto another.  Organisations also set standards for things like variable naming.   Here are a few questions for a new programmer to ask about the PHP in an existing environment.

Questions for new PHP programmers in an existing PHP environment

1. What extension(s) do I use for my PHP?
       (Common options - .php, .php4, and .phtml)

2. Where do I place include / require files?
       (often /usr/lib/php)

3. What version of PHP is in use / how do I collect form variables
       ($abcd for older versions or $_REQUEST[abcd] for newer)

4. Can / should I use short open tags?
       (<? or <?php standard?)

5. Are magic quotes turned on
       (If a user enters O'Reilly, does my string end up O\'Reilly ?)

6. Are there any existing standard include files that I should use
rather than re-inventing the wheel?

7. Are there any conventions that we have for variable naming
       $numberofpeople
       $numberOfPeople
       $number_of_people

Note - if you're in an environment where the existing team says "don't keep bugging me", an answer to question 1 can be found by experimentation, then the answers to questions 2 to 5 can be found by examining the output of phpinfo(); ... questions 6 and 7 may be answered by examining existing code written by others.



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