php[architect]

by Sean Coates

One of the greatest features of the PHP language is the ability to override many of its internal subsystems. As a developer, this provides the freedom and flexibility to make PHP perform in ways specific to your application's needs. Being able to do so can save time (and, therefore, money), whether customizing error handling, shutdown functionality/triggers, or session management. In this article, Sean Coates covers the last of these—that is, the customization of session handling.

by Alessandro Sfondrini

Google is the powerhouse of search engines. It has become so ubiquitous as to enter the informal everyday dictionary as a word of its own. Incidentally, it also provides an excellent practical testing ground for experimenting with SOAP. Join Alessandro Sfondrini and learn how you can do this with PHP.

by Marcus Baker

Testing is good. Unit testing is better. Mock testing enhances unit testing by providing a mechanism that simulates reality without requiring complex testing scenarios that involve databases or other external systems. Marcus Baker shares his insight in this exciting top-level development technique.

by Wez Furlong

Sooner or later, you're going to hit a limitation in PHP that you just can't solve from "userland" by writing more PHP code. Wez Furlong guides you through the ins and outs of writing extending PHP in C by writing specialized libraries that can be called from your scripts.

by Daniel Martin

For years, we've heard that separating the logic from the presentation layer is essential to the success of any software project. Naturally, saying it and doing it are two different things not always compatible with each other. Daniel Martin introduces us to XPHP, a simple platform that brings together the power of PHP and XML/XSLT to provide a truly layered approach to software development.

by Blake Medulan

Yes, we know not everybody who reads php|a is a Canuck. Yet, the recent legislation introduced by the Canadian government to protect the privacy of its citizens closely match those enacted by other countries, such as the European Union members. PIPEDA poses new challenges to website owners and to developers, for whom customer privacy becomes no longer just a matter of public image, but a matter of legal liability as well. As in most things, it's always best to walk into a new reality with open eyes no matter where you hail from. Join privacy consultant Blake Medulan as he shows you what PIPEDA means for Canadian website owners and how it reflect the status of privacy issues throughout the world.