PHP 5/MySQL Programming- P59 pptx

Building Select ObjectsThe select object is derived from an associative array.. For each element in the associative array, the index is translated to the value property of an optionobjec

Building Select Objects

The select object is derived from an associative array It expects a name for the entire structure and an associative array For each element in the associative array, the index is translated to the value property of an optionobject Also, the value of the array element becomes the text visible to the user

function gSelect($name, $listVals){

//given an associative array, //prints an HTML select object //Each element has the appropriate //value and displays the associated name

$temp = “”;

$temp = “<select name = \”$name\” >\n”;

foreach ($listVals as $val => $desc){

$temp = “ <option value = \”$val\”>$desc</option> \n”;

} // end foreach

$temp = “</select> \n”;

return $temp;

} // end gSelect

function select($name, $listVals){

$this->addText($this->gSelect($name, $listVals));

} // end buildSelect

Responding to Form Input

One more SuperHTMLobject method quickly produces a name/value pair for each element in the $_REQUEST array In effect, this returns any form variables and their associated values

function formResults(){

//returns the names and values of all form elements //in an HTML table

$this->startTable();

foreach ($_REQUEST as $name => $value){

$this->tRow(array($name,$value));

} // end foreach

$this->endTable();

} // end formResults

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} // end class def

?>

Summary

This chapter introduced to the basic concepts of object-oriented programming

You saw that objects incorporate properties and methods You learned how

objects implement inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation You

experi-mented with the SuperHTML class and learned how to expand it when creating

your own useful and powerful object classes

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C H A L L E N G E S

1 Rewrite one of your earlier programs using the SuperHTML object.

2 Add support for more HTML tags in the SuperHTML class.

3 Create an extension of SuperHTML that has a custom header reflecting the

way you begin your Web pages.

4 Add support for checkboxes and radio buttons.

5 Improve the buildTable() method so it automatically makes the first row

or column a parameter-based header.

6 Rewrite an earlier program with custom objects.

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The Web has been changing since its inception Two particular advances are especially important for PHP programmers to understand The first is the

concept of a content management system (CMS ) This is a type of application that simplifies the creation and manipulation of complex Web sites XML is a data management technique often used in CMS applications as well as other kinds of programming PHP is an ideal language for implementing XML and CMS solutions

In this chapter you explore these exciting topics You also do these things:

• Explore some common CMSs in popular use

• Build a basic CMS system using only one PHP program

• Examine XML as a data storage scheme

• Implement the simpleXML Application Programming Interface (API)

for working with XML

• Create a more sophisticated CMS using XML

XML and Content

Management

Systems

8

C H A P T E R

Introducing XCMS

You examine three different forms of CMS here First, you look at a powerful CMS system called PHPNuke Then you build a basic CMS using ordinary PHP Finally you learn how to incorporate the power of XML to build the foundation of a pow-erful and flexible CMS engine

You begin by installing and modifying an existing system to create a custom, high-end Web site like the one featured in Figure 8.1

Because PHP-Nuke requires a functioning MySQL server, I did not include this particular example on the CD PHP-Nuke is on this book’s CD, however, so use it

to build sites just like this one.

A CMS site can be extremely powerful, but you may not want all of the features

of a high-end package like PHP-Nuke On the other hand, you may wish to “roll your own” CMS This type of program is very easy to build once you understand the basic concepts By the end of the chapter you can build a site much like the one displayed in Figure 8.2

T R A P

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FIGURE 8.1

You can develop

this fancy page

with a minimum of

PHP programming.