Use PHP and MySQL to Create Dynamic Web Sites

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Guest Writer

 Jon R. Allen

PHP and MySQL work together to help you do what seems like magical things with Web sites. Long ago, way back in the 1994 dark ages of the Internet, a very good thing happened. A genius named Rasmus Lerdorf wanted a way to track how many visitors came to his online resume. So, to count the number of his online resume visitors, Lerdorf created PHP. At that time, PHP stood for Personal Home Page. 

Today counting site visitors is something we take for granted, as there are many tools and gizmos available for this common analytic. However, back in 1994 when the Internet was still new, what Rasmus Lerdorf did with his PHP visitor counter was important and new to Web site development. Lerdorf's PHP would go on to become a very, very powerful and popular web development language. PHP is a rich language for dynamic web development, it has many commands and functions that can perform many different site operations. 

PHP is now known as PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. So what does that mouthful mean? The official PHP Web site (php.net) defines PHP this way; 

PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML.

 

PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for use on the Web. This means you can put (or embed) PHP code into an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language, it's the code that makes up web pages) web page. Each time the web page is displayed in a browser, the PHP code will run at the web page's host (PHP runs at the web page's server) and generate output to the web page which is then shown on the viewer's (or client's) browser. Often the generated output shown on a web page by PHP code comes from a database. PHP is very good at interacting with MySQL databases, PHP is often used with the MySQL database management system. 

A web developer using PHP will include PHP script/code within the XHTML/HTML code of a web page. The PHP script/code can do many things that make a Web site dynamic, rather than static. A dynamic Web site can change its content, it can change what information is shown to a visitor. A dynamic Web site will usually be powered in the background by a database, such as an MySQL database. 

An example of a dynamic Web site would be one where visitors can view, search, and add recipes to an online database, and then display various recipes by calling them up from the database during a search operation. This is all done by the dynamically developed Web site interacting with a visitor. In contrast, a static recipe site would require a web developer to hand-code a new web page for each new recipe added by a visitor. 

Blogs are often powered by the WordPress blogging platform, and WordPress uses PHP and an MySQL database to display the content shown in your typical blog. A blog is often updated and changed by adding new posts, which means new data is added to the database powering the blog. Each new post to a blog changes what information is shown, or can be shown, to a visitor. 

Updating a dynamic PHP and MySQL developed site is as easy as entering new contents to a database, like when you add a post to a blog. With a dynamic site, no web pages need to be laboriously coded by hand. Dynamic Web sites are easier to maintain, upgrade, and build on than static sites. In contrast, a static Web site requires a Web developer to hand-code each and every web page that has content changes. 

Author Information 

I'm Jon R. Allen and I have a blog to help you learn more about creating effective blogs and Web sites. Please visit my blog at: http://www.wordpressblogsandwebsites.com. My goal is to provide information and answers to the questions and problems people have when they begin or manage a Web site or blog powered by WordPress, or by XHTML/HTML. 

I hope you found my article informative and useful. Thank you for stopping by. 

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Optimizing MySQL Database Through Performance Analysis

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Guest Writer

Michael Dorf

Is investing time in optimizing your MySQL database worth the performance benefits that you gain as a result? The answer is an unequivocal "yes"! Many Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP (LAMP) developers struggle with the question of how to optimize their MySQL queries to improve load times and database efficiency. This guide provides an overview for evaluating the processes involved in fine-tuning your SQL queries. To start, you will need to benchmark your current database performance using a common open source tool such as SysBench. This will help you understand your current performance pitfalls as well set achievable goals on how to deal with them.

Utilizing Data to Understand DB Performance
Benchmarking your database is a good first step towards determining the overall health of your database. Profiling is the next step that will reveal the detailed opportunities for improvement. By profiling your database you can gain insights into which queries indicate slow response time in your server logs. While aggregate performance of your database can show overall metrics, several MySQL commands such as "show processlist" can provide detailed insights into potential bottlenecks. Analyzing raw database and server logs can take hours of filtering; database performance tools can provide deeper insights into where you should focus your optimization efforts.

Many developers are surprised which queries are slowing load times, since often multiple join-queries are actually more efficient than simple syntax depending on the overall application design. As a rule of thumb, always judge databases based upon measured data instead of trying to hypothesize where the problems are emerging. Developing and testing in a data-driven environment with respect to database performance is as important as testing your overall code - being able to scale your application requires maintaining efficient database performance from beginning to end.

Optimizing Database Structure to Improve Performance
One optimization opportunity that many developers overlook is the relation of queries to your overall database structure. The overall schema and structure of your database can impact the performance of individual data queries. Designing your database for optimal efficiency will ensure you can maximize the performance of your site as it scales.

When evaluating the overall structure of your database, it is important to analyze the frequency with which you access certain columns. Smart portions of your tables can help by creating sub-tables for frequent entries such as user status on a social network or more popular posts on a blog site.

How you index tables is also important, since large scale databases are like looking for a sentence in a novel unless you properly index against certain entries. By grouping indices logically you can improve query lookup times as well as design your database to scale more effectively. At the same time you should select index options carefully since they utilize memory. An optimal selection of index options can result in improved database performance.

One area where you can help make structural improvements is in your choice of the writer database storage solution. Whether you utilize an out of the box MySQL solution (which provides MyISAM, InnoDB, MERGE and MEMORY storage engines) or a third-party database engine, you should always evaluate which configuration works best for your specific needs. If you are constantly writing to the database, for example, InnoDB may deliver superior performance, helping you scale to meet user needs over time.

As with any computational optimization, there are tradeoffs to making simplifications to your database structure so always think in terms of the long run implications before making individual updates. Evaluating database structures for performance can make a demonstrable difference when it comes to scaling your application more effectively.

LearnComputer! (learncomputer.com) provides instructor-led local and onsite SQL training and PHP training for individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Please see our public schedule for complete details. We look forward to seeing you in our classroom!

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MySQL Vs MsSQL

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Guest Writer

Puripong Koomsin

The best among all data management solutions available today are the MySQL and MsSQL. Although, that both of those solutions are working really good, there are a lot of differences between them and when it comes to choosing, which is the best among them, there are a lot of things that you should know.

First, I would like to focus on the flexibility that is offered by those 2 types of data management solutions, because that is one of the main things that you will be looking for when using them. If you take a brief look at both solutions, you will notice that they support all the major protocols, which are required to access the databases. However, after a close examination, you will notice that the MySQL do not follows the ANSI SQL standards. Although that this is not a large issue, when the data that you are storing, starts to grow, the need for upgrade to MsSQL will grow. Mainly, you will notice the difference if you are using those data management solutions for an e-commerce website.

When you are storing data using those data management solutions, the main thing that you will have to do is to secure it. Both MySQL and MsSQL are supporting very good security measures, but they are doing that in a different way. The MySQL uses SQL Grant command, which is limited to table level of security granting. On the other hand MsSQL, supports column level of security, which will allow you to secure only specific portions of the data to be secured, which means that the other part of the table will be viewable, unlike the security of offered by MySQL.

After you had chosen to use data management solutions, you should learn what the options that you can use for the support are. Here comes the good part - both data management solutions are offering great support for their customers, which includes both free and paid plans. However, here comes another slight difference and that is in the number of people, who are employed to give live support. If you are using MySQL, there are only 100 people worldwide, who are offering support, but with the MsSQL, there are a lot more, because as you know there are so many Microsoft employees all over the world that is really hard to give an exact number.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the choice between MySQL and MsSQL, depends only on the purpose of the system you will be creating. Therefore, when you set your goals you can easily find the most suitable data management solution and put it to use. However, remember that the fact that both solutions look pretty the same on the surface, if you do a good research, you will notice that the MsSQL offers better support, flexibility and security, so keep that in your mind when making the choice between those 2 solutions.

To learn more about Mysql vs Mssql, make sure that you will visit that website. If you are looking to get the Best Web Hosting Company check the link.

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Will Oracle Kill MySQL?

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Guest Writer

Michael Dorf

MySQL is the "M" behind the ever popular LAMP web development stack. In many ways, MySQL was a pioneer in creating a business from an open source product. The MySQL company owned the copyrights to the code and provided MySQL under a dual licensing model. When Sun Microsystems purchased MySQL, it seemed like a great match. Sun understood open source with a number of projects of their own. However, the recent purchase of Sun by Oracle has set open source advocates on edge. Will this deal mark an impending doom for the legendary open source database system?

There has already been a lot written speculating on Oracle's intentions for MySQL. The general consensus has been that Oracle has no intention of killing MySQL. The belief is that because MySQL is used so widely for developing web applications, Oracle sees it as an entry level product that they can use to eventually sell up customers to Oracle's enterprise products. MySQL is a very capable database but its replication and scalability features lag far behind those of Oracle's enterprise products. Oracle believes that it can use this to its benefit by offering its commercial products as a solution to growing scalability headaches with MySQL.

While this view that Oracle's business benefits from MySQL makes sense, there are some deeper issues that affect MySQL's future. Oracle must achieve a number of goals to keep MySQL moving forward and to utilize it as an entry-level product. Oracle must retain the talent needed to keep MySQL in the lead and it must engage the open-source community. Finally, it must convince the open source purists that it understands and supports the open source model. Let's look at each of these in detail to see how Oracle is stacking up.

The first goal Oracle needs to meet is retaining the necessary talent to keep MySQL as the leading database for web development. Unfortunately, it seems that Oracle has already failed that challenge. Citing dissatisfaction over the priorities set for MySQL and a desire to refactor much of MySQL's code, the key developers including MySQL's co-founder Monty Widenius have left to pursue their own project. That project is a fork of MySQL.

The second goal is to engage the open-source community. After all, MySQL has benefited from the contributions of the open source community over the years. To really keep MySQL alive Oracle has to show that they are serious about taking input from the community and not abusing the free code that they receive. Again, Oracle has so far failed at this. They have announced their intentions for the OpenSolaris project and it is apparent that they do not intend to engage that community. In fact, there is now an open source fork of that project called Illumos.

The third goal is where Oracle has failed most spectacularly though. That goal is convincing the open source purists that they understand open source and are serious about being part of the community. Oracle's recent lawsuit against Google over patents for Java has probably done more damage to Oracle's image in the open source community since SCO filed its poorly thought out suit against IBM. This lawsuit has rocked the open source community and has many calling to fork all Oracle open source products and move as quickly as possible away from any Oracle product. The suit makes clear that Oracle does not understand open source and is willing to use patents aggressively.

At the beginning of this article, we asked the question whether Oracle will kill MySQL. Many business writers have made the case that Oracle would never do that because MySQL is a valuable business asset which they can use to upsell customers to their enterprise products. However, these business thinkers were considering a different question. They were answering the question "will Oracle intentionally kill off MySQL?". What they did not arrive at is that Oracle could unintentionally kill MySQL. MySQL could be unintentionally killed by antagonizing the open-source community and using patents in a way that created fear, uncertainty, and doubt about using MySQL. Oracle's lawsuit against Google has done this. What do you think?

LearnComputer! (learncomputer.com) provides instructor-led local and onsite SQL training for individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Our flagship SQL Fundamentals is perfect for beginner data analysts and web developers. Please see our SQL training schedule for complete details. We look forward to seeing you in our classroom!

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PHP MySQL Web Development – Why Do You Need a PHP & MySQL Developer For Hire

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Guest Writer

Abhimanyu Sharma

PHP is web development language. PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. MySQL is an opensource, SQL Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) that is free for many uses.

Content is the king on the Internet. If you have a website which is content driven and is not updated regularly then it creates problems. In order to keep the content of your site fresh you would need to regularly update it and if your site is built in simple HTML then it becomes impossible to update it regularly. PHP with MySQL can solve your problems and can provide you the content management system which allows you easily update the content even without prior knowledge of HTML.

Database driven website gives complete separation of your content from the design aspects. This way you need only update your database rest happens automatically.
There are other benefits of PHP MySQL Web Development.

Cost
PHP cost you nothing. There is no up front or no running cost at all. License is free. Nobody will ask after development to pay you anything. Do you know the Apache/PHP/MySQL combo runs great on cheap, low-end hardware that you couldn't even think about for IIS/ASP/SQL Server? MySQL is slightly different but in most of the cases it is free. PHP is free. There is no license fee for PHP.

Dynamic
PHP is a server side language so it can generate dynamic pages. Users can write content for you! PHP provides highly interactive website or web application. It allows your users to interact with you and produce dynamic content.

Ease of Use
PHP is easy to learn compared to other languages to achieve the similar functionality. PHP does not require understanding of major programming languages to do efficient coding. PHP has a syntax that is easily parsed and human friendly. PHP is stable and easy to solve your problems. Most advance PHP users are die hard coders. Their hand written codes are beautiful, clean and maximally browser compatible

HTML embedded codes
PHP can easily embedded in HTML therefore there is no separate coding is needed for PHP. This embedded-ness has many helpful consequences:
• PHP can quickly be added to code produced by WYSIWYG editors.
• PHP lends itself to a division of labor between designers and coders.
• Every line of HTML does not need to be rewritten in a programming language.
• PHP can reduce labor costs and increase efficiency due to its shallow learning curve and ease of use.

PHP is cross platform compatible and stable language.

To know more about PHP Mysql Web Development, Contact us.

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How to Improve Your WordPress Blog With Plugins

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Guest Writer

Marie Coles

WordPress, probably, the best and most used blog on the internet is well loved not only cause of its usability, but its add ons/plugins, which improve your blogs performance and effectiveness. WordPress has hundreds of 'plugins' - all created to suit bloggers need whatever the reason they may be blogging for.

A few gadgets on your WordPress blog will not only help you effectively and easily write your articles, but will keep it user friendly. Gadgets will help deliver all the information your readers may need, without them putting in much effort, making the blogging process and reading effortless! Here's a few of the most useful plugins that can help you reach your target audience...

Akismet: A favourite among WordPress bloggers. Already built-in to WordPress, this plug in makes comment spam fighting an automatic job, rather than a manual one. You'll find after activating this 'plug-in', you will spend a small amount of time moderating comments.

Blog Protector: It's easy for people to copy your work these days on the internet. Avoid article theft, by using this plugin, which protects you content and images. You can be assured with this gadget that your content is yours - and yours alone!

Headspace 2: Sick of spending most of your time on SEO? Just want to write great articles instead? Well, now there's a plugin that manages most of your SEO for you! It has been designed with reaching the top in mind, so if you want to be at the top of your game this plugin is worth having.

SEO Slugs: a handy plugin that converts your post title for the slug to the basic keywords. It gets rid of all those unneeded words, so that it can focus upon those ever important keywords!

SEO Smart Links: The easiest way to build up your page rank. With this handy plugin, you can interlink your articles. It automatically links through the keywords your articles on similar subjects, making it easier for readers to find your articles upon the same subject.

WP-DBM Manager: The most important gadget when it comes to website protection, as it backs-up your website. A most important tool on the internet is the back-up system, making this well worth grabbing onto.

If you're interested in visiting website news - a WordPress blog - have a look at www.websiteblogging.co.uk

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The Best IT Jobs in the Market

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Guest Writer

 Rostyslav Dumych

There are a number of jobs available for a skilled IT professional to choose from. According to the skills of an IT professional; IT jobs are available and salaries are fixed. The IT professionals choose IT jobs which suit their skills and help them to achieve career growth. The best IT jobs available in the industry today are ethical hackers which help them to provide security to organizations. It takes a lot of practice and years of experience for professionals to handle the widespread online crime and put the use hacking for positive reasons and to benefit organizations. IT jobs in this field require professionals who are complete computer geeks and can service the organization using the art of ethical hacking. Ethical hackers can provide security to various organizations by cracking several systems and hence protecting it. Ethical hackers possess immense talent and skills in system administration, programming and design. Professional certifications are also available for these ethical hackers.

IT jobs in the field of system administration is also very high in demand and system administrators play a vital role in the execution of technology within the organization. System administrators can provide support to organizations and act as the pillars of the organization. The main job of a system administrator is to plan, coordinate and implement various technologies and technology related activity for the organization. IT jobs in this sector has increased greatly with the increase in the use of computers and information technology.

IT jobs in this field are considered as one of the leading jobs in the industry. System administrators can achieve career growth like no other as the percentage of growth in this particular sector is very high. IT jobs in network engineering are also very popular and the need for these professionals is very high. The main job of the network engineer is to handle all computer related issues which include internet, configuration firewalls etc. the importance of network engineers has grown in the recent years with the increase in transaction volumes and the requirement for communication. Network engineers are very well paid and can establish a very strong IT career in this field.

Winston Taylor is an IT recruitment Agency based in London. We work with clients all over the UK supplying contract and permanent IT resources for short and long term projects.

There are many different IT recruitment agencies but it is important to partner with an agency that understands technology.

Our fees are also the most competitive in the UK with 12.5% standard permanent placement fee for salaries up to and including 40K per anum and extremely competitive daily rates for contractors.

Get in touch with us on 02071833822 for a no obligation discussion of your requirements and our ability to help you resource these candidates.

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PHP Programmers and the Need For These Professionals at Organizations

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Guest Writer

 Rostyslav Dumych

The IT industry is growing rapidly and the demand for IT professionals is also increasing among these professionals; these is a huge demand for PHP programmers as these programmers can help organizations to create, develop and maintain a website which can help them to gain an online presence in the market and help to increase the business online. IT recruitment agencies play a huge role in providing these programmers and can help organizations to meet their requirements and demands by providing them with professionals who suit their specifications. PHP programmers can help to update a functional website from time to time and depending on the size and complexity in an organization; the demand for these professionals keep on increasing.

PHP is an open source and hence helps organizations to save on cost which is involved with the project. These programmers can also stay constantly updates with the latest technologies and programs and can help the IT recruitment agencies to find them various projects at different organizations. This enables them to gain exposure in various fields and use this experience at different organizations. PHP programmers can provide organizations with dynamic websites which can include a number of applications according to the requirement of the organization. IT recruitment agencies can provide a full cycle of services related to PHP which includes website designing, integrating and maintaining various web based applications, search engine optimization, software solutions, portal development and can also help to solve various online business issues.

IT recruitment agencies can provide PHP programmers who are technically sound and experiences to provide a number of solutions which are interactive and possess intelligent technology. These programmers can focus on the latest technology gadgets which are offers and can help to customize solutions with knowledge and experience. These programmers can help to provide solutions to projects using open source customization, custom PHP development and various shopping cart development. these programmers can provide a full-cycle services in the area of web designing, developing, integrating and maintaining web based applications, search engine optimization, software solutions, portal development that enables enterprises to solve complex and critical business issues.

Winston Taylor is an IT recruitment Agency based in London. We supply both contract and permanent IT resources. There are many different IT recruitment agencies but it is important to partner with an agency that understands technology.

Get in touch with us on 02071833822 to discuss your requirements.

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Practical PC Security and Antivirus Tips

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Guest Writer

Dhruv Patel

The internet is uniting the people from every nook and corner of the world. Internet has become a useful source for kids, children, individuals and business people. In one word, internet is a complete encyclopedia. While it is developing day by day on one side, there are some criminals who are blocking this development through virus. Yes, internet is beneficial as well as a risky one. So, you need to be careful while browsing the net.

Some of the risks you are likely to face are virus infection, spyware, adware, worms and so on. Every year a new virus enters the internet spoiling many personal computers and one need to spend so many dollars to remove this virus from the computer. So, in order to protect our computer, you need to install strong anti-virus software and set firewall protection while browsing the net. This is not an option, but a compulsory one for every internet browser.

How to keep your computer protected from various forms of virus?

1] Your windows should be updated frequently. Some computers do it automatically, while some inform you the time of updates. In such cases, you should follow it and keep your windows with latest updates.

2] Most of the individual's personal computer is attacked by virus through spam e-mails. Some time your spam box will contain mails received from unfamiliar person. These mails come with a file attachment. Never try to save or open such attachments. By opening it you are inviting virus to your computer.

3] Go to the control panel and adjust the security level. The prescribed security level is medium or Medium-High. This security level can protect from certain virus and pop up messages. But, it will not protect your system from aggressive virus or spyware.

4] There are also some e-mails that contains virus even when you get it from a known person. These mails will not have any attachment, but will contain link. Even your friend may not be aware of this link. So, by clicking such links, your computer will start downloading the virus.

5] Do not download games from the internet, especially the free one. Kids who use the computer to play online games have chances of downloading virus. In case your computer works slowly, first delete the games and software that is installed in your system recently and reboot your computer.

These are some of the precautions through which can protect your PC.

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If you are an existing customer and have any issue with DreamHost account, simply contact him using the "Contact Us" link on his site and he will help you in solving your issue.

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PC Freeze Issues – Was it Something You Installed?

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Guest Writer

Roderick Dunne

All computers are prone to freezing up. As you use the computer and continue installing/changing applications and hardware the system settings become more exposed to errors. This article looks at the problems that users may unwittingly introduce which lead to PC freeze issues. 

If your PC freezes when using a certain program then you can at least focus your investigations. The program may be maxing out the RAM usage or have a coding fault that does something your operating system (OS) is not permitting. Your options are: 

  • Uninstall the program if you don't really need it. This should roll back any system file changes that the program made.
  • If you do wish to keep using the program then check user forums and customer support tickets for similar mention of the fault. If you are in luck, the issue is known and a work-around or fix already exists.
  • Make sure you have the latest update of the program from the company website, not some out-of-date installation from a CD, and that your PC supports the minimum requirements for the application. You may find newer applications have higher CPU/RAM demands that cause problems for older computers

 

When a PC freeze occurs more randomly and not apparently due to a single application, then you need to look at broader causes and solutions: 

  • Scan for viruses, malware and spyware that may have installed themselves on the computer.
  • Registry faults or corruption may be due to programs installs/changes/removals and cause bizarre faults due to the fact that registry keys may be shared by several applications. Use a registry cleaner to repair the problem keys. Alternatively, use the System Restore tool (all programs / accessories / system tools) to revert the registry and other OS files back to a checkpoint date of your choosing. Personal documents in 'My Documents' will be unaffected by System Restore.

 

There are many possible causes of a PC freeze so if the above tips do not help resolve the problem then you should troubleshoot possible hardware/component problems, especially with any recently installed products. 

Check out our blog for articles about simple computer maintenance and repairs and software reviews. 

(c) Copyright - R. Dunne. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 

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