[thelist] PHP script design tips (long)

john corry john at neoncowboy.com
Sun Sep 2 18:24:38 CDT 2001


> > I've been playing with PHP for almost a year now, but I have no formal
> > programming training.
>
> Pah... proper training is for wimps, I just let the force be my guide.
>
> > So, I'm getting to the point where I understand
> > how most of the PHP functions work and how to accomplish most common
> > tasks.  But I find that I'm having problem with fundamental
> > programming issues.
>
> Yeah.. I have those all the time *:)

I have this same thing going...where I'm sort of new at scripting in
general, but am picking up enough of the basics that I can make stuff
work...it would just be really embarassing for any programmer to read my
code and actually see how un-clever and un-elegant I am.

That said, I am making some progress and I can attribute it mainly to 3
things:
1) practice - A lot of times I don't try things because I'm not sure that I
can pull it off. That's no good, you have to push to grow at anything. I am
active in adventure type sports and know from those experiences that to get
good at anythign you have to push beyond the known & comfortable and take on
bigger bites than you can chew. My biggest successes come when I try
soemthing new and it works. When I fail, its no big deal because that was
going a little too far anyway.

2) ask a lot of questions - I have learned more from members of this
community than from any other single source.

3) read the code of others - You know this already...but it is a big
confidence builder to see that 'programmers' aer approachign things the same
way you are. I expecially like the articles on phpbuilder.com, they seem to
approach the tutorial process from a flexible perspective to try o help
people to write better programs.

:)
jpc





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