JoseOlivos.com

Check out iFindFast.com, it is a sample website powered by the Prado framework and Google Custom Search. From zero to published website in less than 1 hour. I installed the framework, added template, developed home page, unit tested, and done!

I understand that using a PHP-based framework is overkill for a simple search, but the sample is just that a sample. I plan to extend the site to include custom search tools and products, so keep an eye out.

The much anticipated 3.1.2 maintenance version has been released. It includes defect resolutions, minor enhancements, and several new components. A total of 105 tickets were closed in this maintenance release.

The Active Record relational object support has been enhanced, but what does this really mean? The Pradosoft.com site includes a brief note regarding RELATIONS type declarations and offers a couple of brief examples, not much more.

I am using the Active Record and SQL Mapper in a couple of personal projects and am interested in the enhanced functionality and relations support for PHP 5.2.3 +. Also, I plan to check out the new controls and review all of the tickets.

I have installed PHP on previous version of Windows with no problems. The IIS Manager 7.0 interface is significantly different than IIS 6.0, so I was expecting a challenge. I am happy to report that it was fairly straight forward and it worked the first time.

The steps are as follows (I will add screen shots soon):

1. Open IIS Manager 7.0 (<windows path>:\system32\inetsrv\inetmgr.exe)
2. Open Handler Mappings in the IIS area of <servername> HOME
3. Select Add Script Map … from the Actions panel on the right
4. Enter *.php in the Request path: text box
5. Enter the path to php5isapi.dll in the Executable: text box
6. Enter PHP in the Name: text box
7. Click OK to add the script mapping
8. Click Yes to enable the ISAPI extension (adds PHP module to the safe list)
9. Test using a simple PHP file and enjoy!

I was not aware that December 31, 2007 was the end of life for PHP 4.x. What does the announcement mean to me? I need to select a PHP-based framework that is written in native PHP 5.x or runs on PHP 5.x.

PHP 4.x frameworks that run on PHP 5.x do not leverage or exploit the features of the PHP 5.x language and rewriting may not be feasible for most projects at this time. Do I abandon PHP 4.x frameworks and focus on native PHP 5.x frameworks?

PHP-based framework PHP5 compatibility list:

• CakePHP 1.2 Beta - PHP 4.3.2 or newer (runs on PHP 5.x)
• Symfony 1.0.x - native PHP 5.x
• CodeIgniter 1.5.4 - PHP 4.3.2 or newer (runs on PHP 5.x)
• Prado 3.1.1 - native PHP 5.x
• Zend 1.0.3 - native PHP 5.x

The Prado team has closed an additional fourteen tickets, nice. The question is still whether or not the 3.1.2 milestone will be delayed. My guess is the balance of active tickets will be moved to the 3.2.0 release.

I am continuing my research and will proceed with version 3.1.1. Also, I am developing a simple mailing list manager and may post the source here. If you are interested, just let me know.

The Prado roadmap indicates that 3.1.2 is due in five days. There are forty (46) active tickets, is it safe to assume 3.1.2 will be delayed or will the team move active items to a future 3.1.x release?

I am interested in the milestone, because I am evaluating several different PHP-based frameworks and prefer to evaluate Prado 3.1.2 versus the current version. If the 3.1.2 release is delayed, I will proceed with 3.1.1.

I am researching PHP-based frameworks, including Prado from PradoSoft. All attempts to access their site have failed, is the site down? I pinged the address and it timesout each time, nice. Next framework!

I have years of .NET and J2EE experience and have used frameworks on most, if not all, of my previous projects. Now that I am developing an application on the LAMP stack, I am searching for a candidate PHP-based framework.

CakePHP, Symfony, CodeIgniter, Prado, etc. There are many choices available to a PHP developer, but which one is right for the project? I am new to PHP, so the candidates must be mature and offer solid community support.

I plan to take an in-depth look at CakePHP, Symfony, CodeIgniter, and Prado. If I have time, I will take a look at other PHP frameworks and post the candidate framework in the next couple of weeks.

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