About Dynamic Sites(Front End / Back End Implementations)

by

Janssen & Associates

Affordable Website Solutionsfor Individuals and Small Businesses

What Are PHP and MySQL?PHP is a server-side scripting language designed specifically for the Web. Within an HTML page, you can embed PHP code that will be executed each time the page is visited. Your PHP code is interpreted at the Web server and generates HTML or other output that the visitor will see.

MySQL is a very fast, robust, relational database management system. A database enables you to efficiently store, search, sort and retrieve data. The MySQL server controls access to your data to ensure that multiple users can work with it concurrently, to provide fast access to it and ensure that only authorized users can obtain access.

One of the nice features of PHP is that it is available for Microsoft Windows, for many versions of UNIX (Linux/Apache) , and with any fully functional Web server. MySQL is similarly versatile.

PHP/MySQL Web Development

• Mastering the concepts– Encompassing advanced PHP and MySQL

syntax, database design, Internet application analysis and design and network security

• Building the applications– Creating sophisticated, secure Web

applications that meet commercial, real-web needs

PHP/MySQL Development Tools

• PHP– The server-side scripting language that allows the website to be

truly dynamic

• MySQL– The database construct that enables PHP and Apache to work

together to access and display data in a readable format to the browser

• Apache– Acts as your Web server by parsing any file requested by the

browser and displaying the correct results according to the code within that file

Dynamic Site Applications

• User Authentication

• E-commerce Sites (Shopping Carts)

• Secure Transactions

• Content Management Systems

• Web-Based E-mail Service

• Newsletter and Mailing List Manager

• Web Discussion Forums (Chat Rooms)

More Dynamic Site Applications

• Online Address Book• Real-time Calendars• Log Files• Bulletin Board Systems• Online Polls• Visitor Accounts• Project Management

PHP/MySQL Web Development1. A user’s Web browser issues an HTTP request for a particular

Web page.2. The Web server receives the request, retrieves the file and

passes it to the PHP engine for processing.3. The PHP engine begins parsing the script. PHP opens a

connection to the MySQL server and sends on the appropriate query.

4. The MySQL server receives the database query and processes it, sending the results back to the PHP engine.

5. The PHP engine finishes running the script and formats the query results nicely in HTML. It then returns the resulting HTML to the Web server.

6. The Web Server passes the HTML back to the browser.

User Logins / Authentication

Update Data That Always ChangesThe rates box below that is on this website will automatically be updated once the rate table on the left is modified.

Update Member ProfilesAfter the member logs in successfully, they can change their password, update the information in their database record and upload a picture if they wish. The changes are then reflected on their website page, which shows the updated information.

Add/Change/Delete Rentals

Shopping Cart ManagementBelow is the dynamic part of a website page, where the customer maintains all product information in a database, which is generated dynamically when this page is selected based on several criteria.

Real-Time Information/Reports

Guestbooks (Database-Driven)

Dynamic Contact Information

Advantages of PHP• Read and write files• Gather and process form data• Send data via e-mail• Access and manipulate database records• Read and write cookies• Maintain data in session variable• Facilitate user authentication• High speed and stability over HTML• High levels of security• PHP is server-side code, so it can’t be viewed

Advantages of MySQL

• Cost-Effective– MySQL is free for development

• Quick and Powerful– For small to medium databases, MySQL is extremely

fast and is a relational database

• Improves All the Time– The developers release updates frequently and are

adding impressive features all the time

Static Versus Dynamic Pages

There are many limitations when building websites using just plain HTML.

Static content from a pure HTML website is just that --- static.

It stays the same unless you physically update it. Your users can’t interact with the website in any meaningful fashion.

Using a dynamic language such as PHP and a database such as MySQL allows you to make your website dynamic …

Dynamic websites are fully customizable and contain real-time information.