very basic intro

[evoir]

If I wanted to learn the very basics of creating database driven content on our site where would I look? Would it be a book that I purchase, a web site...a message board?

Our site represents a print magazine, and I'd like to load the stories up in a database and call them from there. In other words, when the editor loads up a story, I'd like them to load three things:
1) the full story
2) a 50 word excerpt
3) An image for the story

Then I'd like to call the stories from a database. Especially the 50 word excerpt, I have those rotating right now. I have to haand code the whole thing. I am using a flat text file and random text cgi. Very time consuming, and tricky. Would like to build a tool so our editors can upload the stories them selves.

Does this all make sense? Can someone send me in the right direction? Can this be done with MYSQL and PHP? How? Are there programs already written that are cheep? Do I have to write it myself?

Thanks.

[Edited by evoir on 05-16-2000 at 11:43 AM]

[theprof]

Yeah, I'm looking for a place to guide me into the very basics of PHP. Enough to install/ modify the code of this forum. In the respect, the UBB was very helpful because I could count on all the people at the UBB forums esp teh hacking forum to help me with CGI. I learnt a lot.

So where can I find a place for php newbies like me?

[evoir]

I did find this on webmonkey:
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/programming/php/tutorials/tutorial4.html

[werehere]

. Enough to install/ modify the code of this forum.Well it will damn near install itself:)

[werehere]

http://www.weberdev.com

http://www.php.net

[evoir]

Is there one place that someone RECOMMENDS I read, to explain the basics. In other words, I can do a search and find stuff...but what I am looking for is a recommendation of where to start, and perhaps why you think its a good place to start.

Thanks again!

[Edited by evoir on 05-16-2000 at 12:02 PM]

[WebStyles]

Builder.com's Intro To PHP (http://www.builder.com/Programming/PHPIntro/?tag=st.bl.3882.linksgp) is a great place to start. :)

[Aldreis]

See this (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=111) thread also...

[evoir]

I'm going to check these things out!

I cant tell yet if I am in over my head or not! I wish tere were a simple shareware program to do what I want!

Anyway, thanks a bunch.
Evoir

[werehere]

Well I can recommend some good free ezine content managers for your site, which are specifically designed for magazine sites. I should warn you however they are not for the faint of heart.

[Mike Sullivan]

Well, regarding your first post - I'm almost done creating my article script. It has most of that built in to it - except for maybe the image.

You can see the "testing" version at http://www.magic-singles.com/cpa/article/browse.php . It uses PHP/mySQL to maintain all the articles and includes it's own mini-bulletin board type system to manage replies to articles. Additionally it ties in to vB membership tables and uses the cookies (well, kinda. I'm still working on it)

Werehere's already contacted me about wanting to use it. If enough people are interested I might just make it a full-fledged product (presumably free).

So, anyway, drop me a line if you want to play around with it.

(Note: it's built into my site now, so you're going to need to change some of the coding - simple PHP calls and HTML. I suggest you know at least HTML, and some PHP might help too)

[werehere]

Yes, Ed has been more than generous with everything he is developing, and I definetely appreciate it ED,

Thanks:)

[Menno]

This is the way I started out:
I read a perl book (learning perl 2nd edition), which was a GREAT help. Perl and PHP or so alike in many ways, and php is easier then perl.
After this, understanding the php code is a snap.

for a good extra resource to learn alot, go to: http://www.hotscripts.com

and check PHP>Tutorials

[evoir]

This is too cool.

Of course I'd be interested.

I am not on VB yet, but we will be moving over at some point.

You guys are great.

p.s. I am not faint at heart....send me those recommendations, werehere.... Ill poke around at em!

[werehere]

http://www.midgard-project.org ---Mitgard

http://www.masonhq.com/ ---Mason

http://yyy.zope.org/ ---Zope


:) Good luck with them.

[evoir]

LOL

I just about feel comfortable installing and modifying cgi scripts. I took a look at those php scrits and I just don't know which end is up.

That's ok tho. We are not in a rush, w ehave plenty of other things to deal with before we *need* a publishing system. And hopefully by then we are moved over to VB and I will then have more of a grasp of php and MySQL.

I am also trying to change web hosts so I can have shell access, seems like it would be useful.

So, thank you for the links. I will poke around. I appreciate your help. As I figure this stuff out (and I will) I'm sure they will be helpful!

Evoir
webmaster
http://www.curvemag.com

[Bealers]

<cough>
http://back-end.org
</cough>

;)

It won't do exactly what *you* need, but I could modify it easily and more importantly, rapidly if you have a budget (which I would be willing to offset it I could release the code on the back-end site).

It'll do the upload soon enough anyway, it's just a case of making it easy to install

regs

[UserName]

Bealers - I took a look at what you folks have going on and it looks really promising. My problem with most of the PHP content management systems has been how new they all are. It's hard to tell which ones are going to survive and which ones are going to die in SourceForge beta land.

I haven't installed back-end on my server yet, but I'll certainly give it a spin and see how it looks. Best of luck with the project and take care!

[Bealers]

Hey that's fair enough,
thanks for looking at the site.

We are a baby of a project at present, but I've got reams of code that I want to use with it, so I think it'll be sticking around for a while

:D

Regs

[BassWriters]

There's an outstanding 10 part series in progress over at http://www.sitepoint.com

I believe the series has 5 of the 10 parts written, but I've found it to be an excellent start. The series includes informarion on MySql and how to integrate PHP and MySql.

Good Luck,
Cameron

[werehere]

Originally posted by BassWriters
There's an outstanding 10 part series in progress over at http://www.sitepoint.com

I believe the series has 5 of the 10 parts written, but I've found it to be an excellent start. The series includes informarion on MySql and how to integrate PHP and MySql.

Good Luck,
Cameron



Yes it is nice for beginners, but is almost to basic, and I am just learning! :)

[evoir]

nothing more to say, I'm still looking and tring to figure this all out. Thanks to Bealers and Ed Sullivan.

My head is still spinning. But I am looking into both of your programs. Thanks again.
Evie