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 Posted by Michael Phipps on 06/12/89 11:22 
> I just wondered what tips and tricks people have out there that they 
> think other people might benefit from. 
 
ALWAYS code as if register_globals is off.  In other words if you use: 
 
use $_GET['id'] instead of $id  to get myscript.php?id=1234 
You're going to hate it if you've been coding the as if register_globals is  
on and your hosting provider upgrades and register_globals gets switched  
off. 
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Use $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] when pointing at files. 
Your home directory could change when you have to move hosting providers 
 
eg on current server a file may be located at: 
 
on new server it might become: 
/www/hosts/user/sitename.com/include/myincludefile.php 
 
By using $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] your code will not have to change. 
 
$_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/include/myincludefile.php' 
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Check out Smarty Templates 
 
http://smarty.php.net 
 
It separates your php code from design html, so all you have to worry about  
is getting information to be put into the page.  It makes it easier to work  
with a designer.  I only use echo and print statements for debugging these  
days - and I haven't looked back - it is awesome 
 
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Work offline on a local machine with a webserver and database running - it's  
quicker and safer (you can backup) than working on a remote server, or  
*horror* - the live site. 
 
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Use a program like syncrhonex that does incremental ftp - saves hours of  
uploading files that haven't changed, particularly if you are on a slow  
connection. 
 
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Take a look at SQLyog at http://www.webyog.com/.  After you see the HTTP/  
SSH Tunneling you'll throw PHP My Admin away forever - and when you see Data  
Syncrhonization and Schema Synchronization - you'll instinctively start  
reaching for this tool.  SQLyog costs money, but it's worth it.  MySQL also  
has free gui management tools these days, but it isn't quite as good. 
 
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If you're on your local machine, and a script isn't running do a syntax  
check using php -l filename.php (that's an L for larry) - you'll quickly see  
if the error is in syntax.  (I develop on a windows box - forgive me if this  
is different on *nix) 
 
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Thats some.  OH and if anyone knows a good PHP IDE with a PHP Debugger that  
works let me know - I always have problems with server variables in the  
debuggers I have tried, but maybe I just aren't using them right.
 
  
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