16 February 2004
Today's Topic: Basic PHP Programming
PHP is a bit like server-side includes on steroids. Like SSI, it’s embedded in the HTML of a page, and is processed by the server before it sends the page to the browser. Unlike SSI, it is a fully-featured programming language, complete with database query capability.
PHP is most often used to create dynamic sites that pull content from a database. However, it can also be used for a variety of non-database operations—customizing the display of a page based on user input, for example, or sending email messages.
In class I’ll show you how to use PHP to build a simple menu system that allows you to avoid framesets while replicating some of their most useful functions, and how to create a PHP-driven alternative to FormMail.
Project Assignment: Group Project 2: Final Presentations and Peer Evals
The first half of the last week of class will be devoted to final group project presentations.
You should be ready to present a version of your site that has the full information architecture implemented, with content on the main page, any second-level (main topic) pages, and at least one set of third-level or below (specific content) pages implemented, as well.
My mother and son will be there for the presentations, as well. They’ll be looking at the sites from the end-user point of view, while I’ll be evaluating them for their architecture and their technology implementation.
I’m not going to provide a laundry list of technologies to implement on the site—your use of technology should be to facilitate the user experience, rather than to meet a set of arbitrary criteria. That said, effective and appropriate use of the technologies we cover in class—from client-side scripting to back-end scripts—is expected.
Your final project grade will be based on three components:
- Design Document (10%)
- Final Site and Presentation (40%)
- Peer Evaluation (40%)
As you can see, the peer evaluation is a significant component of your final project grade, so if you haven’t been pulling your weight in the project up to this point, now would be a good time to step up to the plate and prove your worth to your groupmates. :)
Here are downloadable versions of the peer evaluation form. Please do not fill these out until week ten—you want to be sure to incorporate feedback for the whole project, including (especially) the down-to-the-wire crunch time.