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Trying to make a basic news manager/poster (Im new at PHP)

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 7:09 pm
by SnuffaLuffaGuss
I guesse this is PHP theory. I am new to PHP and have a few questions about something i may use PHP for (depending on how hard it is to do what i want to do with PHP). As I said I am new to PHP yet im familiar with java and I understand how programming works.

With that said here is what I want to do:

A login page (does not have to be completely secure...as it wont be a super used site or a vulnerable one)

So someone logs in
And depending on there administration level they have several different options.

I want to start small so Say Person A logs in
They want to update the news So they click on update news. From there they can add news in , edit current news, or delete news.. ( This so called news all being placed on a web site [Im familair with HTML aswell]). So say they want to add news, this brings them to a form where they enter in subject, title, and the actual news. This gets displayed on the website. So how hard is this to do in PHP?

I remember making some old PHP things before where you wrote to a text file and it was quite easy. Would that be a good to manage the news? Im not exactly sure on that and that is another question. Now i've worked with databases a small bit in java and i think a text file would be to simple for something like what im trying to do.. I have used MS Access and have linked to it and manipulated it in java.. is it any harder in PHP?

Really right now I just want to know what i should do =]. Any good tutorials that would help me out? Or really just tell me what i need to do and im sure i can find out how to do it online somewhere.

One other little thing: does anyone know where there is a good free web server that hosts PHP? for testing my scripts????????? Or do i have to go through dreaded setting up my own server? (you dont need to tell me how to do that im sure its been asked 100000 times and i can search it).

Well thanx for any help at all =]

Actually.. 1 more thing.. i know this is a PHP forum but... could i do what i just asked in Javascript? (Would i be better in JScript with a background in java then in PHP? )

Again thx for any help =] :D [/php_man]

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 7:12 pm
by tim
do you have access to a MySQL database? if so, what you want would be a perfect shoe fit for php... And not all that complicated, a excellent project to learn both MySQl and php...

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 8:03 pm
by d3ad1ysp0rk
javascript is nothing like java :P

php would be perfect for this

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 8:21 pm
by SnuffaLuffaGuss
ok then ill go with PHP =]. And do i have access to a MySQL Database..hmmm i remember when i made a database with java and i just created a datasource.. on the internet i assume this is more complicated? Well anyways besides that where should i begin learning php so i can do this? Any good tutorials you know of.. Or maybe show me some basic scripts for the things i need:

1, Loging in (password system)
2, Connecting to MS Access DB
3, Inputing, Deleting, Editing records in db
4, showing records and fields from db on a html website

and anything else i would need. Once i have basic code snipets of how to do this or maybe some source files of projects like mine i can begin learning it. Or is there a better way i can learn the things i need for my project?

Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 8:26 pm
by tim
you'll get a ton of links of peoples fav learning site.. i'd check out

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/99/ ... rogramming


http://www.evilwalrus.com (here I would view peoples scripts, go to php.net/mysql.com and look-up the fucntions n see what they do and hows it applied in the script...

MySQL databases are rather simple creating and puttin in/pullin out data...

N u can always come here n post your questions, cheers n godspeed.

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 4:09 am
by JayBird
SnuffaLuffaGuss wrote:One other little thing: does anyone know where there is a good free web server that hosts PHP? for testing my scripts????????? Or do i have to go through dreaded setting up my own server? (you dont need to tell me how to do that im sure its been asked 100000 times and i can search it).
For free web hosts, look here - viewforum.php?f=15

Setting up your own sever would be best. It aint that hard, especially if you get one of the many packages that come with an installer that will install apache, PHP and MySQL with the corrects setting in on package. Have a look at - http://www.firepages.com.au. With this, just download the installer, double click on it, and your ready to go. It couldn't get any easier :)

Mark