Hello.World

As the upcoming Zend Framework is going to implement AJAX functionality I really hope that they will integrate the prototype.js library. I realise that this is also used by Ruby on Rails which Zend is trying to avoid giving the impression they are ripping off. However it is a fantastic library and it would be great to see it become almost a standard. It can be relied on as it is being actively developed and is involved in major frameworks at this stage. In addition there are number of JS scripts and projects already implementing prototype.js. So … here's hoping!

Here is a nice review of some of the current log analysis tools out there. Most of the Linux hosting companies I have worked with offer Webalizer by default. However after having a fresh look at AWStats I would have to agree that it offers superior reports and interface. This feature comparison says it all. From a reporting perspective I personally would like to see AWStats offered by web hosting companies out of the box (over Webalizer). What do you think?

The main reason Webalizer is preferred by hosting companies is because it is extremely fast and thus minimises load when generating reports for multiple websites on a shared server. Any comments on this? How does AWStats compare here?

Programmers often complain about PHP's inconsistant naming conventions. And sometimes there is simply too much to remember (eg date formatting, regular expression syntax). Fortunately David Child took the time to create a PHP "cheat sheet" for us to refer to. The PHP Cheat Sheet is designed to be printed on an A4 sheet of paper and live by a developers desk. If you use PHP it is worth a look.

Going by recent talk in the PHP community a lot of developers are getting on the framework bandwagon. From my reading there seems to be 2 reasons for this renewed enthusiasm:

1. The release of PHP 5.0 and 5.1 with better OO support
2. The increasing popularity of Rails, a web framework for the Ruby language

This is an important time for the community – especially those developers who want to ensure they are using the best tools for the job. The most recent PHP frameworks to generate enthusiasm are the upcoming Zend Framework and the recent announcement of the eZ Components framework which is available in beta version right now. It will pay to keep an eye on these two frameworks over the next few months.

Here are some links to get you up to speed…

Zend Framework

• Zend Collaboration Project
• Overview by Wez Furlong
• php|architect Webcast (uses Flash)

ez Components

• ez Systems Product Page
• ez Components: New Competition for the Zend Framework

I have been analyzing XUL for quite a while with a view to perhaps redeveloping my software using it. Looks like I have been beaten to the punch – have a look at Elixon, the end result of 3 years of development. I have corresponded with Daniel the core developer who informs me that it will be a commercial app to begin with – but may eventually become Open Source. If it does it will be a great help to the community. Even so, it is a great example of what remote XUL is capable of.

del.icio.us is a very popular social bookmarking service recently acquired by Yahoo for an undisclosed amount. del.icio.us allow you to keep your bookmarks online while you can access from everywhere and share them with your friends. A new del.icio.us extension for Firefox offers everything you need to seamlessly integrate the del.icio.us service with your Firefox browser. In the future I will integrate the links on my weblog with my del.ico.us account.

I recently discovered webERP – a web based accounting/ERP software package produced by an ongoing community of accounting software developers. It is developed using PHP and MySQL which means that you can look at the source code, customise it and integrate it with other applications like SugarCRM. It's worth a look.

If you still use Internet Explorer as your primary browser (hint: use Firefox instead) then I suggest you have a look at Maxthon. Microsoft should take note! Maxthon uses the IE browser engine, but supports many additional features such as Tabs and a number of security enhancements. There is a feature tour to introduce you.

There is a great tutorial on the IBM developerWorks site showing how to build an OO graphics library in PHP5. The goal is to have a library that allows you to work with graphics as objects (lines, rectangles, ovals) rather than as a series of pixels etc. If nothing else it is a nice example of clean OO code in PHP5. Check it out and see what you think.

Open Rico is a JavaScript library that enables developers to easily interface with AJAX plus enables drag'n'drop, animations, and behaviours such as the LiveGrid and Accordian. An update to Open Rico was released today with several bug fixes and new options added to existing LiveGrid and Accordian classes. It has also been upgraded to support the latest prototype.js 1.4 library.