Week 1 - 27th Jan - 11th Feb

Developing the skills required for creating an interactive media product that contains PHP5 (M2) (D2)

This week, I introduced myself to PHP and wish I had picked flash as my self managed learning task instead. Little did I realise that before I could start creating PHP, I would need to create a local testing server and download PHP. Thankfully after a few failed attempts, I created the testing environment by using XAMPP. I realised that in order to use PHP to its full potential I would need a MySQL database, at this point I really did get confused.

The problem I faced was how could I possibly create a Learning Plan and develop a technical specification knowing nothing about PHP or MySQL.

After watching a few videos on PHP and taking notes, I began playing with Variables, Arrays and If Else statements, although I found this experience very useful, I couldn’t quite understand how I could use what I had learnt in the real world situation until stumbling upon the HTML form with PHP

Thankfully by choosing to develop a website for my Parents walking club gave me the perfect opportunity to integrate a PHP feedback form. Following an initial meeting with my parents, I drafted a learning plan and created technical specification.

Although I am happy, I have decided that I will include a PHP feedback form that links mailing a reply via email. I might regret I did not do something more challenging later.



27th Jan

• Serverside vs Client side programming
• Installing PHP
• XAMPP
• Writing My first PHP
• Mixing PHP with html
• PHP Variables
• Variable Interpolation expansion
• Using numbers as Value
• Watching Killerphp video and made notes

28th Jan

• Variable
• Defined SMLP
• two variables on one line
• If Else Statement

29th Jan

• Added Merit and Distinctions to SMLP

31st Jan

• PHP Arrays
• Indexed Arrays
• Associative Arrays
• Assigning numeric value

1st Feb

• Processing a HTML Form with PHP
  (using attributes action = form response and method = post)
• Logo development
• Watching Killer PHP Videos

4th Feb

• Wrote brief for Website
• Started Logo design

7th Feb

• Setup domain name and hosting
• Developed logo design

8th February

• Practising PHP videos
• writing comments or statements
• Saving form Input in Variables
• Understanding the four basic variables data types

9th Feb
Creating and practising how to create a simple form in html in php

Step 1: HTML Code view
Step 1: HTML Browser view
Step 2: PHP code view
Step 3: HTML code view
Step 3: HTML Browser view
10th
Trying to create a MySQL database

11th February

• Learning what php is and why I would use it
• Problems setting up MySQL

• Initial form proposal, PHP reply, email feedback
• Development of programme using an (if else function and a MySQL database)
• List of things needed for PHP my MySQL Admin
  
• - Text editors - Webserver - PHP - Database