A PHP Contest, Anyone ?

[DarkAngelBGE]

Just checking how many scripters here are that would participate in a contest.

[The Prophet]

What is PHP?

[DarkAngelBGE]

PHP, Hypertext PreProcessor (or originally "Personal Homepage") is a server-side scripting language to write dynamic webpages. Our forum engine is written in php, our websites will be, too.

Basically you program your site with arrays, classes, functions, methods, variables and everything a real programming language has to offer (PHP5 will offer some more OOP stuff, so that it will be a full OOP-capable language like JAVA very soon) and send the code to your server.

Then the server generates the html and sends it back to the browser, which displays it.

An example:

<?php

echo "<table><tr><td>Hallo Leute</td></tr></table>";

?>

will put a simple table with "Hallo Leute in it" to the screen.

However, there are complex functions with classes etc.

Here is one from the Task System I made for WFG (and which i am still developing):

<?php

/*
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Wildfire Games Intranet
|   ========================================
|   by Tim [DarkAngelBGE] Koschuetzki
|   ========================================
|   Email: DarkAngelBGE@aol.com
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|   > Index module -- Manages the entire Task System
|   > Module written by Tim Koschuetzki
|   > Date started: 11th November 2003
|
|    	> Module Version Number: 1.0.5
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/



class cl_task_system
{

	var $task_html;


	//-------------------------------------------
	// CONSTRUCTOR FUNCTION
	//
	// Decides what to do based on the url vars
	// act and code, calls the Email Reminder 
	// func and puts up the page's title as well
	// as the navbar stuff
	//-------------------------------------------

	function cl_task_system()
	{

  global $site, $std_func, $DB, $display, $INFO;

  //-------------------------------------------
  // Parse the header, left nav and right nav
  // to the Skinning System
  //-------------------------------------------

  $std_func->std_navbar( &$l_nav_cats, &$l_nav_items, &$r_nav_array );

  $display->add_output( $site->html->header( $INFO['site_name'].' -- Task System' ) );
  $display->add_output( $site->html->left_nav( $l_nav_cats, $l_nav_items ) );
  $display->add_output( $site->html->right_nav( $r_nav_array ) );


  //-------------------------------------------
  // Load the Skin Stuff
  //-------------------------------------------
  
  $this->task_html = $std_func->load_template( 'task' );	
  
  
  //-------------------------------------------
  // Decide what to do
  //-------------------------------------------

  switch ( $site->vars['input']['code'] )
  {
  	case 01: $this->new_task();
  	break;
  	case 02: $this->view_task();
  	break;
  	case 03: $this->edit_task();
  	break;
  	default: $this->view_task();
  }

  // Remind people of their tasks
  $this->email_reminder();
  
	}

...

} //class

It is the master class for the Task System Module and its contruct function works out, which function to start upon some values of variables.

Got a first insight ?

[The Prophet]

Yes, I have always worked with HTML...

[MarkT]

I'll have a go, as long as it doesn't take too much time (or Stuart will have my head).

I'm curious, though, why was the task code all wrapped up in a class? Personal style considerations, or is it actually easier that way?

[DarkAngelBGE]

It is actually easier, because that way I can just have another class if I make a new module (like the memberlist or so) and use functions...well for each function so to speak.

Also, it looks more easier (the code) and more l337.

You have PHP experience, mrk ? For how long ?

[King Tutankhamun]

I don't know PHP, but my dad programs in it and ASP.NET also.

For me I know HTML, but it has helped me a lot.

[EKen132]

Yeah the only thing I have a clue with is HTML. BTW, what is l337? I've seen that all over these boards? is it leet?

[MarkT]

Erik: Yes.

Tim: Well. I've been playing with PHP a while, but haven't really had much need to use it very often, seeing as I don't really have a web presence. About a year, perhaps. Used ASP for a couple of years, too.

[Khazun]

Dipense, I may, im weighed down with my company a bit though at the oment.

[CodeOptimist]

Anyone want an ASP contest?

(yet another way to say sadly, "I don't know PHP".. *sigh*)

[DarkAngelBGE]

Well I am thinking about allowing every possible language...

[Khazun]

and what would we be coding/making?

[SoggyFrog]

I have a book which I could put to good use. I doubt I'd do very well, but seems like a good chance to develop some skills.

[Khazun]

yes, but it will probably be like a complex thing-lol

[DarkAngelBGE]

Well programming is actually more mathematics so maybe we want to allow all languages, dunno.

[CodeOptimist]

I voted yes, in case you decide to allow all languages

[DarkAngelBGE]

Cool, Nathan.

Well what languages would come to mind ?

PHP, ASP, C, C++, VBA perhaps, Cobol, Pascal

Hmm

[Khazun]

It depends. Maybye have different catagories, eg PHP cat, ASP cat, masters cat (any language)

[Zeusthor]

sample contest: create a password list generator that takes the input of minimum chr and maximum chr, whether it should also generate uppercase, etc...

good?

[Khazun]

yes, its nb

[DarkAngelBGE]

What do you mean by nb ?

[Licensed Devil]

If only Mark Stoker was here, that would make the competition a competition and not a forgone conclusion

[Khazun]

nb=not bad