Posted by linda on 11/01/06 20:25

"Steve" <no.one@example.com> wrote in message
news:3j62h.18$vj4.14@newsfe07.lga...
>| Yep I understand it now! Thank you for explanation, it's much
> appreciated.
> | This is like when learnt to surf in my teens, lol very painfully and
> slowly.
> | So tell me, when you first started learning php, how many times did you
> | rebuild that site after you learnt a better way of doing something? ;-0
>
> one is always rebuilding sites - usually, to add or correct functionality.
> however, i find new ways of doing things all the time. what is important
> is
> to catalog reusable code so that implementing the change is more easily
> done. reusable code is either in the form of a function, or a class
> object,
> or a template. each of these is a rung in a ladder that when built, give
> you
> great architecture that is easily managed and updated.

I do try to re-use code, but sometimes, mainly due to my lack of knowledge
atm, I get slightly confused when I try to either change a method of doing
something, or adding a new function. And always end up breaking it code
down into chunks and placing it onto a blank page, bit by bit. I guess the
further down the road I get I will be able to just see where and how to
implement it!

> what it comes down to these days, for me, is that i rarely rebuild
> functions
> and only add new functionality to classes. i modify templates all the time
> as they are how all of that logic get translated to user-viewed output -
> which changes daily it seems sometimes! but as it is, i'd rather spend
> more
> of my time on formatting output than validating and processing input.
>
> | Talk about learning curve, I'll have the bl**dy arc at this rate!
>
> well, here's the good news...try prototyping your functionality in clipped
> english - psuedo-code. make up function names and parameters like
> stringLength($string). after you have it "englished", use php and/or
> google
> on the made up functions by searching on what you intended that they do.
> in
> this case, google "php string length"...you'll see quickly that a function
> exists for MOST of the things you want to do. and, this way, you're just
> plopping the correct php function name over your made up one using your
> editor's replace feature...stringLength becomes str_len.

True!

> two important things will happen. you will quickly remember what the real
> function names are. and, most importantly, you will have already produced
> your code based on what you wanted to happen in it...rather than bending
> what you want to do *limited* by what you know php can do. finally, for
> the
> functions you cannot find either on php.net (who has a downloadable .chm
> help file) or google, you have but to create said function.

That actually makes a lot of sense, and I can definitely see that being very
useful to me. Thank you I would never have thought of that!

> btw, this is very similar to "extreme programming" (gay as hell name!)
> techniques used in sound software design.
>
> see! you're already ahead of the game!

Can you just repeat that so I know it wasn't my ego reading what it wants
to! ;-)

Best wishes,
Linda

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