22     Practical PHP

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While this has book so far has by no means been theory only, we have not really looked at examples of complete PHP projects - applications taken from through all the stages of software development. There are a number of common PHP applications that you are likely to want to make during your programming career, and the code and ideas presented here is designed to be easily ported into your own work, even if your actual project is not covered exactly here.

The projects covered here are a poll, a guestbook, a messageboard, and image thumbnails - these terms are explained more in each individual section. Although there is not enough room in this book to cover much design brainstorming and the like, I have tried to give as much technical detail as possible in the hope that it will deepen your understanding of the language.

Chapter contents

22.1. Creating a poll

22.1.1. Analysis: what makes a web poll?
22.1.2. Development: creating the simplest poll
22.1.3. Analysis: Poll v2
22.1.4. Putting Poll v2 into action
22.1.5. Analysis: Poll 2005
22.1.6. Making the final poll
22.1.7. Building a better poll

22.2. Creating a guestbook

22.2.1. Analysis
22.2.2. Development
22.2.3. Problems in paradise: Guestbook v2
22.2.4. Fixing the problems
22.2.5. Building a better guestbook

22.3. Creating a messageboard

22.3.1. Analysis
22.3.2. Development
22.3.3. Analysis: Messageboard v1.1
22.3.4. Making Messageboard v1.1
22.3.5. Messageboard v2
22.3.6. Making an object-oriented messageboard

22.4. Creating thumbnails

22.4.1. Analysis
22.4.2. Development

22.5. ASCII art

22.5.1. Analysis
22.5.2. Development
22.5.3. Analysis: ASCII art in colour

22.6. Further Reading