PHP & Web Development Blogs

Welcome back! If you're new to this series have a look at Part 1 here

Today we are going to beef things up a bit and we will focus on the backend and some key CMS functionality.

It's time to get excited, this is where you'll start to see your barebones structure morph into something extraordinary!

Tired of my intro? That's ok! Let's jump into it!

Getting the DB on board

Before we delve into this, it's imperative that we take a minute and plan things out.

The database tables that are vital to any CMS are the menu, the user table, and the content table.

Our menu table will start of as follows:

CREATE TABLE 'mydbname'.'menus' ( 'ID' INT(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT , 'menuname' VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL , 'item' VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL , 'itemlink' VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL , PRIMARY KEY ('ID')) ENGINE = MyISAM COMMENT = 'menu table';

Let's break this down a bit.

In the SQL above, we're creating a new table called menus.

Essentially our structure looks like this:

ID | Menuname | Item | Itemlink

Our ID field is our unique identifier (our PRIMARY KEY).

Tip: Remember, you can use raw SQL or a tool like PhpMyAdmin to create your db tables/execute SQL queries.

Next up is our user table.

CREATE TABLE 'mydbname'.'users' ( 'ID' INT(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT , 'username' VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL , 'password' VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL , 'email' VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL , PRIMARY KEY ('ID')) ENGINE = MyISAM COMMENT = 'user table';

Visually represented this structure looks like this:

ID | Username | Password | Email

Our ID field is our unique identifier.

And finally, our content table modifications. You probably remember creating a rudimentary content table in Part 1 of the series.

ALTER TABLE 'mydbname'.'content' ADD content_type VARCHAR(50);

Yep, you guessed right, in the above statement we are altering our content table and adding a new field called content type.

Our new table structure now looks like this:

ID | Title | Content | Author | Content Type

Planning to Add to the Backend

Next , we're going to add a menu section, an add user section, and we'll also modify our content section.

Let's do this! reate a file called menus.php in your backend folder.

Next, code a HTML form to save your menu data.

The form needs the following fields:

Menu Name (we called this menuname in our db table).

Menu Item Name (we called this item in our db table).

Menu Link (we called this itemlink in our db table).

Try to follow Part 1 to do this on your own.

If you get a little stuck, that's ok. You can also follow the example below:

<form method="post" action="<?php $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>"/>

<input type="text" name="menuname" class="mytextbox" placeholder="Menu Name" required />

<input type="text" name="item" class="mytextbox" placeholder="Item" required />

<input type="text" name="itemlink" class="mytextbox" placeholder="Item Link" required />

<input type="submit" value="Save Menu Item" name="savemenu" class="mybutton"/>

</form>
 

Notice the use of CSS classes? The gravy!

This will come in handy in our next tutorial.

Next, let's add the form processing code as we need to save these fields to the database. Remember to use the sanitization technique you learned in Part 2.

Add this above your <form> tag.

<?php

if(isset($_POST['savemenu'])){

include('../includes/conn.php');

if ($letsconnect->connect_error) {

die("Your Connection failed: " . $letsconnect->connect_error);

}else{

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

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

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

$sql = "INSERT INTO menus(menuname,item,itemlink) VALUES ('".$menuname."', '".$item."', '".$itemlink."')";

if (mysqli_query($letsconnect, $sql)) {

echo "Your data was saved successfully!";

} else { echo "Error: " . $sql . "" . mysqli_error($letsconnect);

} $letsconnect->close();

}

}

?>

Ok phew, the menu data capturing section is done.

Let's move on to the user data capturing section, and modify the content capturing screen.

Repeat the steps above and create these two screens. Remember to keep an eye out for our database field names that we defined earlier! If you get stuck, look at the end result below:

Create adduser.php in your backend folder.

Create your data capturing form.

<form method="post" action="<?php $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?>"/>

<input type="text" name="username" class="mytextbox" placeholder="Username" required/>

<input type="password" name="password" class="mytextbox" placeholder="Password" required />

<input type="email" name="email" class="mytextbox" placeholder="Email" required />

<input type="submit" value="Save Menu Item" name="saveuser" class="mybutton"/>

</form>

Add your PHP processing code, remember the security!

Add this above your <form> tag.

<?php

if(isset($_POST[‘saveuser])){

include('../includes/conn.php');

if ($letsconnect->connect_error) {

die("Your Connection failed: " . $letsconnect->connect_error);

}else{

$menuname = $letsconnect -> real_escape_string($_POST[‘username']);

$item = $letsconnect -> real_escape_string($_POST[‘password']);

$itemlink = $letsconnect -> real_escape_string($_POST[‘email']);

$sql = "INSERT INTO menus(username,password,email) VALUES ('".$username."', '".$password."', '".$email."')";

if (mysqli_query($letsconnect, $sql)) {

echo "Your data was saved successfully!";

} else { echo "Error: " . $sql . "" . mysqli_error($letsconnect);

} $letsconnect->close();

}

}

?>

Please note that I will be covering Password security in the tutorials that follow.

Make sure that you are using your localhost server to complete this tutorial series. Do not publish your work until you complete this series.

Lastly, let's move to our content capturing screen which is currently found in index.php in the backend folder.

We will be changing this to a more professional dashboard in the tutorials that follow!
Our current file looks like this:

<html>

<head><title>Backend - Capture Content</title></head>

<body>

<?php

if(isset($_POST['savedata'])){

include('../includes/conn.php');

if ($letsconnect->connect_error) {

die("Your Connection failed: " . $letsconnect->connect_error);

}else{

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

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

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

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

if (mysqli_query($letsconnect, $sql)) {

echo "Your data was saved successfully!";

} else { echo "Error: " . $sql . "" . mysqli_error($letsconnect);

} $letsconnect->close();

}

}

?>

<form action="<?php $_SERVER[‘PHP_SELF'];?>" method="post">

<input type="text" name="title" placeholder="Content Title here" required/>

<textarea name="content">Content Here</textarea>

<input type="text" name="author" placeholder="Author" required/>

<input type="submit" value="Save My Data" name="savedata"/>

</form>

</body>

</html>

We need to modify this slightly to include our new field, content_type.

Add the input field in your <form> above the submit button.

<input type="text" name="content_type" placeholder="Content Type" required/>;

Next, add the content_type to the sanitization lineup.

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

Lastly, store this variable to the database by modifying the $sql.

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

Conclusion

Chopping and changing is not always as daunting. Find a rhythm. There are many ways to make cumbersome coding a breeze and we will delve into that in the tutorials to come.

Challenge

Think of ways to test what we just did through retrieving and echoing data from the database.

Next Up: #CodeWithMe Part 5 Building a good base Continued

Interested in sponsoring? Check out the prospectus

A little history

Several years ago I had the distinct privilege of founding Midwest PHP with Jonathan Sundquist. The goal was simple, to bring an affordable PHP conference to Minnesota and the midwest region.

Midwest PHP was created for one simple reason - there weren't a lot of alternatives, especially affordable ones. At the time, your choices were ZendCon in Silicon Valley, php[tek] in Chicago, or Northeast PHP in Boston. While Northeast PHP formed the blueprint of a community conference - it still required a flight and a costly hotel in Boston. I wanted something where local attendees, college students, and those just beginning in their PHP careers could go to learn, network, and become part of the PHP community.

Shortly after Midwest PHP was formed (originally we were using the name PHPFreeze - until Sundquist told me what a horrible idea it was), Adam Culp launched Sunshine PHP which has become one of the top community focused PHP conferences (but still requires that flight and hotel in Miami). Sundquist and I knew that any reasonable developer would still prefer to attend a conference in a blizzard than enjoy the beautiful Floridian weather (ok, that might not be it, but we still understood the need that existed).

After moving to California for my new job, Jonathan Sundquist continued to run Midwest PHP as more community conferences appeared. With his efforts, and the torch being passed to Mike Willbanks, Midwest PHP celebrated it's seventh consecutive year, becoming the longest continuously running PHP conference (if you go by formed date, if you go by actual conference date Sunshine PHP beats us out by a month).

A renewed focus

Because of the incredible work Jonathan and Mike have done, Midwest PHP has stood the test of time - and the peaks and valleys that come with any conference. With the shifts in the PHP community and the sad loss of several community conferences - we realized the need for Midwest PHP is more now than ever, and to meet that need we needed to reimagine the way the conference operated.

We also realized that the best way to make Midwest PHP accessible was to combine forces, creating a seamless partnership between Nomad PHP and Midwest PHP. Through this partnership we're not only able to stream the event to make it more accessible ($19.95/mo), but also expand the conference.

This year, taking place onApril 2-4, 2020 - Midwest PHP will bring together over 800 developers both in-person and virtually! Making this year truly unique, however, and staying with our purpose of helping new developers be part of the PHP community is abrand new, FREE, beginner track. I'm excited to say we will be giving away 200 tickets to those wishing to attend our Beginner or Learn PHP track!!!

We will also work to keep prices as low as possible as we offer our standard PHP tracks (Everyday PHP and PHP Performance & Security) starting at $250/ person, anda brand new enterprise track geared at developers facing challenges at unprecedented scale starting at $450/ person.

Last but not least, it is our goal with the help of our sponsors to include the workshop day as part of your ticket price - allowing you to get one day of in-depth training, and two more full days of sessions. On top of this, we're also excited to make the Nomad PHP and Nomad JS video libraries available for Standard and Enterprise attendees, providing over 220 additional virtual sessions on demand!

For sponsors

Sponsoring a conference is hard. We understand the challenge of gauging ROI, planning travel, and coordinating outreach. With the combined forces of Midwest PHP and Nomad PHP, we're able to offer sponsors unique plans that maximize their investment - while ensuring the funds go back into the event to create an amazing experience for our attendees.

Beyond Midwest PHP's goal to be the largest PHP conference this year - the included Nomad PHP advertising will help you reach a much larger and broader audience, allowing for follow up advertisements and consistent engagement with the PHP community.

Interested in sponsoring? Check out the prospectus

Next steps

For more information, please visit the Midwest PHP website. The venue, call for papers, and additional information will all be posted there soon.

Your biggest asset is also your biggest risk... your developers

Your business thrives because of the incredible work and innovation of your developers. With simple keystrokes your developers can completely transform your business, add new features, and drive new sales.

But those same keystrokes can take down production, create security back doors, and put your business at risk. That's why it's more important than ever for your team members to be up to speed with the latest technology, especially around performance and security.

Of course, some things are easier said than done - after all everyone is super busy these days. So how can you help keep your team members learning, and putting your business first in the process?

Conference Parties

There's nothing better than attending a PHP or programming conference in person - the chance to meet speakers face to face, to network, the knowledge, and the hallway track. However, many companies aren't able to afford multiple (or even one) conference for their developers - especially ones that require airfare and hotel.

However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't still participate in these conferences. The good news is that roughly once a quarter Nomad PHP streams talks from a conference right to your computer. This means that your team members can all participate in a multi-day conference from the comfort of your office (or their home) - and you can provide this for your team for less than the cost of a single conference ticket!

Make the conference party even more special by providing lunch during the lunch break, bringing in party gifts, having give-aways during the conference, and planning activities during longer breaks for your team.

Since many conferences take place on Friday, not only are you providing invaluable training and an incredible work benefit, but ending the week on a super positive note that your team members will appreciate (and your risk assessment teams will greatly appreciate as new security practices and compliance practices are put into place).

Monthly Lunch and Learns

Every month Nomad PHP offers live virtual talks by the industry's top experts. With talks at 11am Pacific, and 6pm Pacific it's a perfect time to grab a conference room and order a couple pizzas for lunch (or if Eastern, grab some snacks and maybe a beer) and play the monthly meeting on the large screen.

Your team members will have the opportunity to take notes, discuss with each other, and perhaps most importantly ask the speaker real-world questions that directly impact your business, providing tangible solutions to the problems they are facing.

And since every Nomad PHP Pro meeting is recorded, your team members can refer back to the video at any time, watching sections relevant to them or digging in for more information.

Developer Book Club

Encourage your team members to share what they're learning with others, and help build each other up. Not only are you helping grow skills and ensure your team is following the latest best practices, but you're also fostering a mentor-mentality within your team - where each team member feels invested in the growth of other members.

With Nomad PHP you receive a new issue of [php[architect]](/books) each month and have several additional books available to read on demand - providing the latest updates and an invaluable resource to help your book club get started.

Developer Movie Nights

Sometimes we all just want to get away, grab some popcorn, and watch a movie. Similar to lunch and learns, give your developers a night or two where they can get together and watch one of the 250+ training videos available on Nomad PHP. You can even make it a movie marathon!

Whether it's pizza, popcorn, sodas, beers - your team members will have the chance to kick back, relax a bit, build team camaraderie, and learn valuable skills to help your business succeed. Essentially, turning a training day into a fun team-bonding activity.

Learning Path Challenges

Every company has challenges, and areas they need their team members to master. Whether it's DevOps and containerization, security, performance, management, modernization, or soft skills - work with your team to determine what skills will help them succeed and work with your team members to put together video learning paths.

Your team members can watch through these videos on-demand, go back and replay to refresh their knowledge, and work their way towards mastery in the subjects that will help your company succeed.

Certification

Show that you are invested in your developers by helping them earn Professional Certification. These certifications demonstrate that your team members have a fundamental grasp of the technology they are working with and understand when and how to use this technology.

With free certification exams included with Nomad PHP - you no longer have to worry about failed exams or expensive test credits. Your team members can take the exams at their own pace, discover the areas they need to improve, and take the exam again when they are ready. After all, shouldn't the goal of certification be to help your developers learn these skills and prove their expertise?

You can go even further with certifications by having a special company award, framing their certificate, or calling out newly certified developers at team meetings or all-hands.

Learning Incentives/ Rewards

Of course there are even more ways you can help your developers learn new skills, grow their careers, and build loyalty within your company. With Nomad PHP there are numerous ways for your team members to grow their skills, and numerous ways you can reward/ incentivize them - from rewards for the most active learner, to setting goals for learning new skills, to obtaining certifications, to attending streams, to watching videos on-demand. All of these are included with our Professional Nomad PHP Team subscriptions.

Want to learn more about getting a Nomad Team Subscription for your developers? Give us a call (844) CODE-PHP

Have more ideas on how to help your developers grow their skills or help employers make education more accessible? Please leave your ideas in the comments below!