Week 5: php scripts
[ objectives | links | activity ]
Objectives
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By the end of this online week, you will
- be able to explain what php scripts are and how they differ from CGI scripts written (typically) in PERL
- be able to state why php tends to be used as a 'glue script' for database powered applications
- have downloaded, configured, uploaded and tested a simple php Web Server application that does not use a database
Differences: php code is mixed with html codes in pages. These pages are then given the file extension .php or .phtml. When a given page is requested by the user's Web browser, the php script interpreter loads the code in the page and runs the code. The output from the script is delivered to the Web browser as a Web page. The user never sees the original code. In CGI PERL scripts, the code is held in a separate file from the HTML pages. PERL scripts generate HTML pages by either saving output as HTML pages on the server or by 'including' output on HTML pages with templates embedded in them. The php script engine has built in support for most commonly found relational databases: MySQL being very popular on UNIX based Web servers.
Database backends: Setting up a MySQL database account on most UNIX web server accounts is simply a matter of e-mailing the support people. They will send the address of the MySQL server (usually 'http://localhost' as it is on the same server as your Web space), the name of the database, and a user id/password for connecting to the database. Most MySQL based backends have a configuration file where you provide these details. The tricky bit is sometimes setting up the database tables, but, increasingly that process is being automated with setup scripts. If you do have to set up database tables manually, most Web server hosting packages now have a Web page based admin system for databases.
Web Links
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- php overview
- differences between php pages and PERL scripts - this page might help (the whole article might be of interest if you want to try writing a php page)
- The Nexus Quickedit site manager script. One file. No more FTP. Manage your Web server space through the Web like a geocities account.
Activity
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Last modified: 2nd Feb 03