Just PHP will give you nothing unless you upgrade yourself

[Hasin Hayder]

I have been working with PHP for more than 3yrs (I believe still I am
beginner in this category) - I was present in several interview board.
Which things disappointed me most is the "lack of eagerness" to
learn what comes new. Sometime developers thinks that learning Only PHP
will help them to get lucrative jobs!! OMG

Especially most of the time PHP developers plays multiple roles in the
companies, they are developer, they are template designers, they are
HTML coders, they are DBA, they are PMs....what the heck. Only few
companies have different people for these roles.

How far you can go just learning PHP (RAW code, in ancient style, that
means PHP+HTML together, yak!!)? You have to have knowledge in CSS, JS,
Frameworks, Multiple DBS

When it comes the question of CSS, you should maintain a list of
websites where from you can get updates. Dont learn the CSS from book,
but goto websites and see what is happening... If you are still using
Tables to design ur pages, let me say man, it sucks. Got any idea about
Liquid Layout?? not yet?? OMG

Lets go for JS. Javascript is simple yet powerful language (I better
say a mandatory one for web application developers) to learn. Unless u
have proper knowledge in JS, its very hard to develop "usable" web
2 apps. But wait, I never meant RAW JS. you have to have some basic
skills on basic javascript, but dont spend time for re inventing the
wheels. Go for popular libs like Prototype, jQuery, Moo, Mootools,
Scriptaculous, Dojo, Rico.... Why you are sitting man?? go learn them.

MySQL becomes very popular by last couple of years becoz of it's
performance. By the meantime PostgreSQL also developed a lot. Now its
hardly a factor between them, if you talk abt performance. Beside that
I must say postgre is much more mature, feature rich and thats why it
is called "open source oracle". Never wait for only MySQL. Learn
postgreSQL. And it is also necessary to learn atleast one of the
embedded database like SQLite. Dont ever think that SQLite is less
powerull. You can develop amazing apps using simply SQLite, with some
"hacks" and "optimizations"

Team development attitude is another important thing. If you are
introvert, restricting and never share your knowledge with others, you
dont cost a dime. What is the value of yor knowledge unless you explore
it? Also you must posses a very friendly attitude while you are working
in a team. Dont think your team mates are your competitor but they are
just working with you to build a big result together....nothing
personal. Participate in forums and write blogs.

If you are PHP developer and think you have learned enough already, let
me give some suggestions. Please DONT think you have finished learning.
Everyday there are new release from PEAR, PECL and many other
providers. Please learn useful packages from PEAR. Also learn the
following

1. ezComponents
2. Zend Framework (dont mix framework with the MVC concept.. MVC is
just a part of Zend Framework)
3. Popular opensource packages
4. PEAR
5. Templating engines like Smarty, Savant

also keep yourself uptodate from the following sites

1. www.phparch.com
2. www.phpmag.net
3. www.phpmagazine.net
4. www.ajaxian.com
5. www.mashable.com
6. www.programmableweb.com
7. www.planet-php.org

Please Please Please - Upgrade Yourself....

Hasin Hayder
http://hasin.wordpress.com

[Toby Inkster]

Hasin Hayder wrote:

And it is also necessary to learn atleast one of the embedded database
like SQLite. Dont ever think that SQLite is less powerull.

SQLite still has a long way to go before it can be considered a contender
for anything more than very basic projects. I imagine that the lack of
foreign key constraints alone is enough to put it out of the running for
many projects.

My current project is being built on PostgreSQL, and I plan to also
support MySQL for the 1.0 release, and then Firebird for shortly later.
(PDO helps!) I've considered supporting SQLite in the first release, but
with its current feature set, it just won't cut it. Perhaps if a future
release includes foreign keys and, triggers, I'll reassess the situation.

BTW, nice rant.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me ~ http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact

[Hasin Hayder]

If thats the issue with SQLite, let me share some info. The FK is
available in MySQL also , but unfortunately If the table type is
MyISAM, it doesnt maintain the FK forcefully. The FK is somewhat
actually working if and only if ur table type is InnoDB

I am not biased by PGSQL or SQLite, I just recently moved to PG.

Regards
Hasin Hayder
http://hasin.wordpress.com

On Jan 25, 4:25 pm, Toby Inkster <[e-mail]>
wrote:

Hasin Hayder wrote:

And it is also necessary to learn atleast one of the embedded database
like SQLite. Dont ever think that SQLite is less powerull.SQLite still has a long way to go before it can be considered a contender

for anything more than very basic projects. I imagine that the lack of
foreign key constraints alone is enough to put it out of the running for
many projects.

My current project is being built on PostgreSQL, and I plan to also
support MySQL for the 1.0 release, and then Firebird for shortly later.
(PDO helps!) I've considered supporting SQLite in the first release, but
with its current feature set, it just won't cut it. Perhaps if a future
release includes foreign keys and, triggers, I'll reassess the situation.

BTW, nice rant.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me ~http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact

[Michael Fesser]

..oO(Hasin Hayder)

>If thats the issue with SQLite, let me share some info. The FK is
available in MySQL also , but unfortunately If the table type is
MyISAM, it doesnt maintain the FK forcefully.

The MyISAM engine is only useful for small projects or really simple
databases. For anything more sophisticated you're usually better off
with a transactional engine like InnoDB. A bit slower than MyISAM, but
full of useful features.

A while ago I considered to have a look at PostgreSQL, but meanwhile
recent versions of MySQL support all the features I need. So I'll stay
with MySQL, but keep PG in mind as an option.

Micha

[Michael Fesser]

..oO(Hasin Hayder)

>Lets go for JS. Javascript is simple yet powerful language (I better
say a mandatory one for web application developers) to learn.

Depends on the application. I consider it nice-to-have, but optional.

>Unless u
have proper knowledge in JS, its very hard to develop "usable" web
2 apps.

"Web 2.0" is just a marketing gag, a buzzword. There's nothing special
about it.

And when it comes to usability then "usable" means (for me) that it also
has to work if JS is disabled or not available. Of course if used
properly then JS can be a real improvement to a website/webapp, but it
shouldn't be used for the most fundamental functionality, unless you
have total control over your client's browser configuration (like in an
intranet maybe). There's always an alternative non-JS way. That's what I
consider a properly written webapp.

>MySQL becomes very popular by last couple of years becoz of it's
performance. By the meantime PostgreSQL also developed a lot. Now its
hardly a factor between them, if you talk abt performance. Beside that
I must say postgre is much more mature, feature rich and thats why it
is called "open source oracle".

Compared to MySQL 5.0/5.1 there's not much of a difference.

>Never wait for only MySQL. Learn
postgreSQL.

Learn PDO. ;)

Micha

[Curtis]

On Jan 25, 1:26 am, "Hasin Hayder" <[e-mail]:

I have been working with PHP for more than 3yrs (I believe still I am
beginner in this category) - I was present in several interview board.
Which things disappointed me most is the "lack of eagerness" to
learn what comes new. Sometime developers thinks that learning Only PHP
will help them to get lucrative jobs!! OMG

Especially most of the time PHP developers plays multiple roles in the
companies, they are developer, they are template designers, they are
HTML coders, they are DBA, they are PMs....what the heck. Only few
companies have different people for these roles.

How far you can go just learning PHP (RAW code, in ancient style, that
means PHP+HTML together, yak!!)? You have to have knowledge in CSS, JS,
Frameworks, Multiple DBS

When it comes the question of CSS, you should maintain a list of
websites where from you can get updates. Dont learn the CSS from book,
but goto websites and see what is happening... If you are still using
Tables to design ur pages, let me say man, it sucks. Got any idea about
Liquid Layout?? not yet?? OMG

Lets go for JS. Javascript is simple yet powerful language (I better
say a mandatory one for web application developers) to learn. Unless u
have proper knowledge in JS, its very hard to develop "usable" web
2 apps. But wait, I never meant RAW JS. you have to have some basic
skills on basic javascript, but dont spend time for re inventing the
wheels. Go for popular libs like Prototype, jQuery, Moo, Mootools,
Scriptaculous, Dojo, Rico.... Why you are sitting man?? go learn them.

MySQL becomes very popular by last couple of years becoz of it's
performance. By the meantime PostgreSQL also developed a lot. Now its
hardly a factor between them, if you talk abt performance. Beside that
I must say postgre is much more mature, feature rich and thats why it
is called "open source oracle". Never wait for only MySQL. Learn
postgreSQL. And it is also necessary to learn atleast one of the
embedded database like SQLite. Dont ever think that SQLite is less
powerull. You can develop amazing apps using simply SQLite, with some
"hacks" and "optimizations"

Team development attitude is another important thing. If you are
introvert, restricting and never share your knowledge with others, you
dont cost a dime. What is the value of yor knowledge unless you explore
it? Also you must posses a very friendly attitude while you are working
in a team. Dont think your team mates are your competitor but they are
just working with you to build a big result together....nothing
personal. Participate in forums and write blogs.

If you are PHP developer and think you have learned enough already, let
me give some suggestions. Please DONT think you have finished learning.
Everyday there are new release from PEAR, PECL and many other
providers. Please learn useful packages from PEAR. Also learn the
following

1. ezComponents
2. Zend Framework (dont mix framework with the MVC concept.. MVC is
just a part of Zend Framework)
3. Popular opensource packages
4. PEAR
5. Templating engines like Smarty, Savant

also keep yourself uptodate from the following sites

1.www.phparch.com
2.www.phpmag.net
3.www.phpmagazine.net
4.www.ajaxian.com
5.www.mashable.com
6.www.programmableweb.com
7.www.planet-php.org

Please Please Please - Upgrade Yourself....

Hasin Hayderhttp://hasin.wordpress.com

While I agree with the point that one should not remain content with
what they've learned, I have to disagree with the idea of jumping on
popular popular libraries that support the latest buzz. You'll learn
far more if you actually learn what's going on behind the scenes.
"Ajax" and the Web 2.0 buzz has notoriously _spurred many of its
participants_ to exclude usability. Understanding JavaScript is
understanding how to implement it in a transparent manner, when it's
available, great! When it's not, the user shouldn't be feeling the
effects of it. I'm quite fluent in JavaScript and very much enjoy
writing cool UIs, but my driving focus is to ensure the user doesn't
have to go out of their way to accommodate its implementation. Michael
Fesser said this more eloquently and concisely than I have. :-)

What people should be learning is the general concepts of programming,
the ability to approach problems in a programmer way. Not many place
emphasis enough on the ability to take in a situation, use Google to
find **useful** results, and work in a solution. If you take several
years to learn how to think in terms of "the" programming approach, you
should be at a point where you can learn a new language in days. Of
course, to do that, you'd need to learn varying types of programming
languages. Downloading Dojo or the latest PEAR package won't really
improve the essential *core* knowledge you need to become a
self-sufficient programmer. I think this is one of the reasons I like
the idea behind C so much. Anyone could write their own standard
library, if they wanted. Of course, practically and for portability
reasons, that's not a great idea.

Sorry, just had to let off a rant of my own.

--
Curtis