PHP & Web Development Blogs

Welcome back!, if you’re new please be sure to read Part 1 here.

This tutorial will focus primarily on Security and will touch on how to plan functionality.

Planning out an application and seeing progress regularly is a good strategy as you are most likely to complete your tasks in a timely fashion with this approach.

Ready?, ok let’s jump into it!

DISCLAIMER

We highly recommend that you follow these tutorials on a localhost testing server like Uniserver. Read through Part 1 here to look at our recommendations. These tutorials follow a phased approach and it is highly recommended that you do not make snippets of code live prior to completing this tutorial series.

Where we left off – the serious stuff.

In the previous tutorial we saved variables to the database.

It’s important to note that further steps are needed to ensure that data transactions to / from the database are secure.

A great first step is to ensure that all POST data (data transmitted after a user clicks a form’s submit button) is sanitized.

What we’re trying to prevent

One of the most common exploits is SQL Injection, an attack most commonly used to insert SQL into db queries. POST data that’s not sanitized leaves a huge security hole for malicious exploits. In some cases SQL injection can be leveraged to rage an all out assault on a server’s operating system.

A few examples of a basic version of what this might look like can be seen below.

OUTCOME

This might delete your database table

OUTCOME

This might provide access to the entire user table and the password protected area/dashboard.


***Please note that there are various types of SQL injection techniques and I will delve into this during the course of this series.***

So what exactly is sanitization and what does it do?

When sanitizing POST data, we are essentially looking for any special characters that are often used in SQL injection attacks.

In many ways, this tiny piece of code is the unsung superhero of many database driven applications.

Let’s secure that POST data!

Navigate to your backend folder and open index.php

Locate the following line of code:

$sql = "INSERT INTO content(title,content,author)VALUES ('".$_POST["title"]."', '".$_POST["content"]."', '".$_POST["author"]."')";

Ok, let’s get to work.

Based on what I mentioned a few moments ago, it’s clear that our SQL statement is vulnerable so we need to sanitize the POST data pronto!

The method I will focus on first is $mysqli->real_escape_string. This will escape any special characters found in the POST data.

Add the following just above your $sql.

$title = $letsconnect -> real_escape_string($_POST['title']);

$content = $letsconnect -> real_escape_string($_POST['content']);

$author = $letsconnect -> real_escape_string($_POST['author']);

Did you notice the use of $letsconnect? This was used because of our db connection defined in conn.php.

Our new query will look like this:

$sql = "INSERT INTO content (title,content,author) VALUES ('".$title."', '".$content."', '".$author."')";

Go ahead and replace the old $sql.

Phew!, we can breathe easy now.

Next, let’s lighten things up a bit by focusing on functionality and aesthetics.

A phased approach is the best way to tackle projects of any size.

I tend to jot this down on paper before creating a more legible professional spec!.

Typically the phased approach lends itself to logical progression.

For example, over the next several days I will go over the following:

* Account Access
* The login process
* The registration process
* The password recovery process
* Frontend
* The look and feel
* Menus
* Sidebars
*Main Content
*Footer
* Backend
* Content Management
* Add/Edit/Delete
* Security

This will give us a good springboard to delve into more complex functionality.

The aesthetic I have in mind will be barebones at first with clean CSS practices (this will make life a whole lot easier when we have to make changes down the line!).

Challenge :

Plan out your own CMS, think about the user interface and design choices you’d like to implement, and create a phased approach.

Conclusion

I hope this tutorial encouraged you to think about security and understand one of the most common exploits. During the course of this series, you will receive the tools necessary to beef up security while maintaining your sanity!

Next up

CodeWithMe – Let’s go templating.

Conferences are always looking for speakers - it can be hard to keep track of them all and the requirements they have. I wanted to put together this quick guide to make it easy for you to apply. Make sure to apply because as Wayne Gretzky said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”!!!

phpDay 2019

First we have phpDay 2019 which will take place on May 10 & 11 at Hotel San Marco in Verona, Italy. Some facts about this call for papers:
*Submission deadline: February 4, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfp.phpday.it/
* For more info on the conference: https://2019.phpday.it/
* Twitter: (@phpday)
* Speaker package includes: Full conference pass (jsDay + phpDay), speaker dinner the first night, lunch, reception and activities included in regular conference.
* For speakers remote to the Area: A refund of up to €200 for travel costs (or €500 from US or extra-EU), 2 complimentary hotel nights (+1 hotel night for speakers presenting multiple talks or US/extra-EU) and Taxi fare from/to the airport.
*In Submission: make sure your talk title and abstract define the exact topic you want to talk about and what you hope people will learn from the session.
*Talk Ideas: APIs (REST, SOAP, etc.), Architectures, Continuous Delivery, Databases, Development, Devops, Frameworks, Internals, PHP 7.x / PHP 8, Security, Testing and UI/UX.

ScotlandPHP

Next we have ScotlandPHP which will take place on November 8 & 9 at Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.
*Submission deadline: April 22, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfs.scotlandphp.co.uk/
* For more info on the conference: https://conference.scotlandphp.co.uk/
* Twitter: (@scotlandphp)
* Speaker package: Full conference pass, lunch, receptions and activities included in regular conference.
* For speakers remote to the Area: Complimentary airfare/travel, 2 complimentary hotel nights and we'll pick you up and drop you off to/from the airport so you don't have to worry about it.
* Speakers will be provided with a projector, a wireless lapel microphone and a screen for their presentation (size depends on the room). Speakers should bring any equipment they need to connect to projectors (VGA). It is also suggested that you reduce your dependency on the in-house internet connection as possible. We will however provide HDMI and Mini Display Port connections for all speakers on request. If you need something different or your selected talk needs audio equipment just let us know. We'll work it out.
* Looking for talks and workshops (November 8th).
*Talk Ideas: Virtualization and environments, Javascript, Alternate PHP run-times, PHP internals, Development principles, Security, Mobile-first design, Testing (unit, functional, etc.), Version control, User Experience/Usability, Building APIs (REST, SOAP, whatever), Continuous Integration, Framework-related topics, and Professional development.

Global diversity CFP day

In 2019 there will be numerous workshops hosted around the globe encouraging and advising newbie speakers to put together your very first talk proposal and share your own individual perspective on any subject of interest to people in tech.
* Twitter: (@gdcfpday)
*Save the Date: March 2, 2019
*Register here: https://www.globaldiversitycfpday.com/?utm_source=scotphp

CoderCruise

Then there is CoderCruise which will take place on August 19-23. It's a cruise that takes off from Port Canaveral, Florida and goes to the Bahamas.
* Twitter: (@codercruise)
*Submission deadline: March 3, 2019
*Submit via: https://www.papercall.io/codercruise-2019
* For more info on the conference: https://www.codercruise.com/
* This is a polyglot conference so looking for speakers on a wide variety of languages (PHP, JavaScript, Java, Python, etc.) and on various tech topics.

PHP Conference Asia 2019

There is also PHP Conference Asia 2019, which will take place on June 24-25 at Microsot Singapore.
*Submission deadline: March 8, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfp.phpconf.asia/
* For more info on the conference: https://2019.phpconf.asia/
* Twitter: (@PHPConfAsia)
* Speaker package includes: Speaker package: Full conference pass, lunch, receptions and activities included in regular conference. We'll pick you up and drop you off to/from the airport so you don't have to worry about it. Speakers' dinner on the first evening of the conference (24th June 2019). Transport to and from the conference venue will be included
* For speakers remote to the Area: 2 complimentary hotel nights and
we can consider providing grants to partially cover the air-fare for speakers who might have financial difficulties. This is on a case-by-case basis.
* Speakers will be provided with a projector, a wireless hand-held microphone and a screen for their presentation. Speakers should prepare their slides in 4x3 aspect ratio. Speakers should bring any equipment they need to connect to projectors (HDMI). It is also suggested that you reduce your dependency on the in-house internet connection as possible.
*In Submission: Make sure your talk title and abstract define the exact topic you want to talk about and what you hope people will learn from the session.
*Talk Ideas: Virtualization and environments, Javascript, Alternate PHP run-times, PHP internals, Development principles, Security, Mobile-first design, Testing (unit, functional, etc.), Version control, User Experience/Usability, Building APIs (REST, SOAP, whatever), Continuous Integration, Framework-related topics, and Professional development.

Cascadia PHP

Another conference to apply to is Cascadia PHP, which will take place on September 19-21 at University Place Hotel & Conference Center in Portland, Oregon.
*Submission deadline: April 15, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfp.cascadiaphp.com/
* For more info on the conference: https://www.cascadiaphp.com/venue
* Twitter: (@CascadiaPHP)
* Speaker package includes: Speaker package: Full conference pass, lunch, receptions and activities included in regular conference. For speakers remote to the Area: Complimentary airfare/travel, 2 complimentary hotel nights and we'll pick you up and drop you off to/from the airport so you don't have to worry about it.
Speakers will be provided with a projector, a wireless lapel microphone and a screen for their presentation (size depends on the room). Speakers should bring any equipment they need to connect to projectors (VGA). It is also suggested that you reduce your dependency on the in-house internet connection as possible.
*In Submission: make sure your talk title and abstract define the exact topic you want to talk about and what you hope people will learn from the session.
*Talk Ideas: PHP internals, Version control, Framework-related topics, Building APIs (REST, SOAP, whatever), Mobile-first design, Professional development, Testing (unit, functional, etc.), Alternate PHP run-times, Development principles, Continuous Integration, Getting involved in the PHP community, User Experience/Usability, Technology at large, Security, Connecting to Different APIs, Development Tools, Virtualization and environments, Javascript, Modern hosting practices, Language Features, Databases, Refactoring legacy applications, Running/contributing to open source projects, AI and AR, and User Groups.

Nomad PHP

Last but not least - this is an ongoing call for papers. This is perfect if you want to present from the comfort of your office, home or really wherever you are. It’s via RingCentral meetings and will be live and recorded. This is for none other than Nomad PHP.
* Twitter: (@nomadphp)
* Deadline: Anytime :D
* Talk length: 45 - 60 minutes.
* Talks should be unique to Nomad PHP and not available in video format online.
* Talk should not be recorded or made available elsewhere online for at least 3 months following your talk.
* The talk will be featured on our page and promoted via social media.
* Speakers will receive a financial stipend.
* Upon being selected we will reach out with further details.
*Talk ideas: AI & Machine Learning, APIs, Containerization, Databases, DevOps, Documentation, Frameworks, Performance, Security, Serverless, Testing, Tools, Upgrading/ Modernization, and more.
*Submit here: https://www.papercall.io/nomadphp
Now that you have some information - make sure to apply to all of these options! Can't wait to see all of your awesome talks you present :D!

Hey there! This reading is not going to be a technical one. Instead, it's just a little portion of information that you might have not known before. I once worked for a project that did currency exchanges. As you probably know, currencies have 3-letter codes (ISO 4217), and I asked myself if there's a currency with code "PHP".

PHP: Philippine peso! In Philippines you can code PHP for PHP!


But there's more to it.. "PHP: Prvi Hrvatski Pištolj" stands for "first Croatian pistol". Next time someone tells me that it's too easy to shoot your own leg with PHP, I'll definitely agree.
If you don't believe me - checkout these 10 most common mistakes PHP programmers make from Toptal!

Or checkout Eric Wastl's list of things in PHP that make him sad. Or these three weird facts about PHP that you might not have known. The thing is PHP is a great programming language for building web applications, but... it's not without it's quirks.

___What else does PHP stand for???___

Project Honey Pot - system targeted at spammers and email harversters.

Pigeonhole principle - if n items are put into m containers, with n > m, then at least one container must contain more than one item. Mathematicians can be even more weird then programmers, can't they? And remember, programmers can right something like if (true == false)...

PHP has even more meanings, see this wikipedia page) for reference and havePHun!

In modern software architecture, developers are constantly exploring new paradigms to enhance the performance, scalability, and maintainability of their applications. One such architectural pattern gaining popularity is Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS). CQRS separates the responsibility of handling read and write operations, offering numerous benefits in complex systems. In this article, we'll delve into CQRS and explore its implementation in PHP.

What is CQRS?

CQRS, coined by Greg Young, is an architectural pattern that segregates the responsibility for handling read and write operations in a system. In traditional CRUD-based architectures, the same model is often used for both reading and writing data. However, CQRS advocates for a clear distinction between commands (write operations that modify state) and queries (read operations that retrieve data).

Key Concepts of CQRS:
   

. Command: Commands represent actions that modify the state of the system. They encapsulate the intent to perform an operation, such as creating, updating, or deleting data.
   
. Query: Queries retrieve data from the system without modifying its state. They are read-only operations used to fetch information for presentation or analysis.
   
. Command Handler: Responsible for processing commands by executing the necessary business logic and updating the system's state accordingly.
   
. Query Handler: Handles queries by retrieving data from the appropriate data source and returning the results to the caller.
   
. Separate Models: CQRS often involves maintaining separate models for commands and queries. This allows each model to be optimized for its specific use case, leading to improved performance and scalability.

Implementing CQRS in PHP:

Implementing CQRS in PHP involves structuring your application to separate command and query responsibilities effectively. Here's a high-level overview of how to implement CQRS in PHP:

1. Define Commands and Queries:

Start by defining the commands and queries your application will support. Commands should encapsulate actions that modify state, while queries should retrieve data.

class CreateProductCommand {
 public $name;
 public $price;
}

class GetProductQuery {
 public $productId;
}

2. Create Command and Query Handlers:

Next, implement handlers for processing commands and queries. Command handlers execute the necessary business logic to fulfill the command, while query handlers retrieve data based on the query criteria.

class CreateProductCommandHandler {
 public function handle(CreateProductCommand $command) {
 }
}

class GetProductQueryHandler {
 public function handle(GetProductQuery $query) {
 }
}

3. Use Separate Models:

Maintain separate models for commands and queries to optimize each for its specific purpose. This separation allows you to design models tailored to the needs of write and read operations.

class Product {
 public $name;
 public $price;
}

class ProductView {
 public $name;
 public $price;
}

4. Wiring Everything Together:

Finally, wire up your command and query handlers to the appropriate endpoints or controllers in your application. Dispatch commands to their respective handlers and invoke query handlers to retrieve data.

$command = new CreateProductCommand();
$command->name = "Example Product";
$command->price = 99.99;

$handler = new CreateProductCommandHandler();
$handler->handle($command);

$query = new GetProductQuery();
$query->productId = 123;

$handler = new GetProductQueryHandler();
$product = $handler->handle($query);

Benefits of CQRS in PHP:

-Improved Scalability: Separating read and write operations allows you to scale each independently based on demand.

-Enhanced Performance: Optimizing models and handlers for specific tasks can lead to improved performance and responsiveness.

-Simplified Maintenance: Clear separation of concerns makes the codebase easier to understand, maintain, and extend over time.

-Flexibility: CQRS enables flexibility in choosing the most suitable data storage and retrieval mechanisms for different use cases.

Conclusion:

CQRS is a powerful architectural pattern that offers numerous advantages for building complex and scalable PHP applications. By segregating command and query responsibilities, developers can achieve better performance, scalability, and maintainability in their systems. While implementing CQRS in PHP requires careful planning and design, the benefits it provides make it a compelling choice for projects requiring high performance and flexibility.

At Nomad PHP our goal is to empower developers in building a habit of continuous learning - and that means we have a habit of continuous improvement ourselves. Here are just some of the things we've done this year (with much more coming down the road)!

Website Redesign

We've refreshed the look and feel of Nomad PHP to better emphasize the goal of Nomad PHP - to help developers build a habit of continuous learning and grow their careers. This includes numerous usability enhancements as well as a focus on our new book library, blogs, and certification in addition to virtual meetups, workshops, conferences, and on-demand videos.

Free Meetups

As technology has advanced, more and more meetups and usergroups are able to stream their local usergroup meetings.

As our goal has always been to make technology accessible, we are proud to provide free streaming technology for local user groups, and share local user group meetings on our live virtual meetup schedule.

Student and Professional subscribers will continue to have access to our monthly conference level Pro Talks, hands on virtual workshops, and live conference streams in addition to streams by local user groups.

You can find a list of all upcoming talks (free and Pro) on our Live Meetings Page, or add your user group stream here.

Free Subscriber Tier

As our mission has evolved from being the meetup for developers without a meetup group to building an inclusive community of PHP developers where you can network, grow your skills, and share your knowledge with others - we are excited to announce our new Free Tier.

With a free Nomad PHP account you can:

* Stream free meetups

* Watch ad-supported videos in SD

* Read PHP blogs and write your own

* Network with other PHP developers

Create your free developer account to get started.

New Student Tier

To provide the best value, we've also restructured our plans to provide professional online meetings, workshops, and conference streaming to our Student Tier. This will allow students and new developers the chance to learn from the best speakers and top practioners and obtain entry level certifications at the best price possible.

However, with the addition of PHP Books and Magazines, and in order to provide the best value while keeping the Student plan affordable, new Student subscribers will not have access to the PHP Book and Magazine Library, or advanced certifications. These will now require a professional plan.

Student plans start at $12.95/mo

PHP Books and Magazines

We're excited to announce that we have expanded our PHP library. In addition to the ability to read the latest issues of php[architect] magazine, Professional subscribers now have access to read PHP and web development books online.

We're excited to announce the availability of Chris Hartjes' bookThe Grumpy Programmer's Guide to Testing PHP Applications, as well as several titles from Notes for Professionals, andUndisturbed REST: a Guide to Designing the Perfect API.

More titles including exclusive titles will be made available for online reading soon.

You can view our entire PHP Library here.

Blog Updates

We've received a lot of feedback on the blog writing process, and have upgraded several aspects of our blogging software. This includes the ability to save drafts prior to publishing, and the ability to upload, edit, and crop images and videos. We've also added some bug fixes for editing and writing code.

We're also excited to share that members with Student and Professional plans can now have their ownVLOG (video blog) with the ability to screencast/ record video from your webcam within the blog.

To see the most recent blog posts, or write your own, visit the Nomad PHP Blogs.

Certification Updates

We've updated our certifications for better usability and readability. We've also reworked some of the code samples and questions in our Level 1 PHP Certification exam.

You can find our available exams, test your skills, and obtain your Nomad PHP certification here.

Team Management

Our new team manager allows you to easily add or remove team members with your Nomad PHP team subscription. You'll also find real time metrics on how your team is using Nomad PHP, who on your team is investing in their growth and streaming meetups, watching videos, reading books, and earning certifications, and the overall content value consumed by your team.

The Team Manager is available to new teams, and will be made available to existing team managers over the next several weeks.

2020 Roadmap

There's still plenty of more great things coming in 2020. Here are the items at the top of our list:

* Mobile app for offline viewing

* Desktop app for offline viewing

* Nomad PHP member only books

* PHP Level 2 Certification

* Interactive tutorials

* Better video support in blogs

* Ability to schedule blog posts

* Meeting software for local usergroups

* Improved plan management for subscribers
Of course, what's most important to us is what's most important to you. Leave what you want to see on Nomad PHP in the comments below and if we're able to we'll get it added to our roadmap!