I started computer programming many years ago, and have used among others, Algol, Cobol, Basic, machine language (more than one type), and more recently, PHP for website programming.
Logic counts in programming, of course, and syntax is crucial, but I think understanding your data is the most important thing.
If you understand how your data looks, then (as long as you're a competent programmer) you can probably program almost anything. If you have the good fortune to be able to define your own data then you can make life easier for yourself. The relational database that goes with PHP is MySQL and I have found it as flexible as I need for programming in PHP.
The fact that PHP and MySQL are both open source and therefore free is a great boost for website programmers like myself.
Of course, I still find challenges (after 30+ years) in programming and I still find it rewarding to get successful results from my programming efforts.
Long may that continue.
Showing posts with label websites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label websites. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Be community spirited - fix your PHP bugs
I was browsing "PHP news" on Google and came across this blog - Dragon Be's PHP blog - which exhorted its readers to do something for the community: "update documentation, fix bugs on your favourite project or attend a PHP user group or conference."
Not the usual sort of thing you might be asked to do for the community (I can't see this being on the list of community service projects), but for the PHP community it is a fair request.
Most of the websites I write and maintain are now written in PHP, making the websites dynamic and in most cases giving the website client the opportunity to make their own updates to the website as and when required.
But I will make it an objective in 2014 to update documentation and fix bugs. I also have a project of my own running on my own laptop (a sports simulation which may lead to others...), but it has its own bugs. I know my way around them, but I need to make it bug-free to make it marketable. A 2014 challenge.
As for attending a PHP user group or conference - that's a good idea. Let's Google that...
Not the usual sort of thing you might be asked to do for the community (I can't see this being on the list of community service projects), but for the PHP community it is a fair request.
Most of the websites I write and maintain are now written in PHP, making the websites dynamic and in most cases giving the website client the opportunity to make their own updates to the website as and when required.
But I will make it an objective in 2014 to update documentation and fix bugs. I also have a project of my own running on my own laptop (a sports simulation which may lead to others...), but it has its own bugs. I know my way around them, but I need to make it bug-free to make it marketable. A 2014 challenge.
As for attending a PHP user group or conference - that's a good idea. Let's Google that...
Monday, 10 January 2011
Articles are one way to boost your website visibility
Most people in business now realise that they have to have a website, any everyone wants their website to be noticed. They want to be "number one on Google". Be wary companies that promise that they can get you to number one on Google. I'm sure they can, but you're probably there already. Type in "Pierrepont Consulting" to Google and my company will be number one.
Is that good enough? Not really.
We all have to work to get our website's high on Google, but it's not easy.
One way of doing so is to use articles. They can be sent to e-zines, such as http://ezinearticles.com/ and http://www.articlesbase.com/.
What you do is write articles reasonably related to your business area and refer the reader to your website. In this way you are hoping to generate traffic and interest in what you are selling. News, views and other website use the articles to populate their own website which is where users will read them and hopefully come to your site.
Articles can also be used on your own site, making it a "resource". The idea here is that people will be attracted back to your site more than once for information and views, and then buy your services.
But it's hard work, and if, for example, you're an accountant, you're in business to do accounts, not to write articles. But neither are you in business as a computer fixer - so you use a 'computer guy' for that - you outsource. So for articles, you should also outsource.
Try CommissionArticles.com to commission articles for your own use. They will written by expert researchers and writers and give you the articles you ned to improve your website visibility.
Is that good enough? Not really.
We all have to work to get our website's high on Google, but it's not easy.
One way of doing so is to use articles. They can be sent to e-zines, such as http://ezinearticles.com/ and http://www.articlesbase.com/.
What you do is write articles reasonably related to your business area and refer the reader to your website. In this way you are hoping to generate traffic and interest in what you are selling. News, views and other website use the articles to populate their own website which is where users will read them and hopefully come to your site.
Articles can also be used on your own site, making it a "resource". The idea here is that people will be attracted back to your site more than once for information and views, and then buy your services.
But it's hard work, and if, for example, you're an accountant, you're in business to do accounts, not to write articles. But neither are you in business as a computer fixer - so you use a 'computer guy' for that - you outsource. So for articles, you should also outsource.
Try CommissionArticles.com to commission articles for your own use. They will written by expert researchers and writers and give you the articles you ned to improve your website visibility.
Monday, 1 February 2010
UK leads Europe in online shopping
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) show that shoppers in the UK spent more online than anywhere else in Europe last year. In fact, UK online purchases accounted for almost a third of all European sales.
The UK spend was £38bn online in 2009, or an average of £1,102 per shopper.
The figures mean that online sales now amount to around 10 per cent of total retail sales in the UK, according to the CRR.
The centre reckons that internet shopping would continue to grow sharply this year, reaching £42.7bn in 2010.
"This year is when we will really start to see online sales achieving a significant share of overall retail trade in the UK," said Bruce Fair, managing director of online shopping and price comparison site Kelkoo, which commissioned the research.
Mr Fair said that online shoppers were growing in confidence of the security of the Internet and monetary transactions.
Online shopping had been boosted by the recession, Mr Fair said. "In these hard times, it is no surprise that shoppers are turning to the internet rather than the High Street, especially when you consider that purchasing items online can result in savings of 20% or more," Mr Fair said.
It demonstrates the importance of a website for all businesses, and the ability for people to buy right there and then.
The UK spend was £38bn online in 2009, or an average of £1,102 per shopper.
The figures mean that online sales now amount to around 10 per cent of total retail sales in the UK, according to the CRR.
The centre reckons that internet shopping would continue to grow sharply this year, reaching £42.7bn in 2010.
"This year is when we will really start to see online sales achieving a significant share of overall retail trade in the UK," said Bruce Fair, managing director of online shopping and price comparison site Kelkoo, which commissioned the research.
Mr Fair said that online shoppers were growing in confidence of the security of the Internet and monetary transactions.
Online shopping had been boosted by the recession, Mr Fair said. "In these hard times, it is no surprise that shoppers are turning to the internet rather than the High Street, especially when you consider that purchasing items online can result in savings of 20% or more," Mr Fair said.
It demonstrates the importance of a website for all businesses, and the ability for people to buy right there and then.
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