PHP

1
PHP MySQL RAD

• Accelerated MySQL/PHP Application Development
• Using a Code Generation Framework
• MySQL Online Webinar
• Tuesday, December 14, 2005
• Mike Ho QuasIdea Development, LLC
• mike_at_quasidea.com

2
A little about me

• Co-Founded Quasidea Development, LLC
• Company behind open-source project Qcodo, a PHP
  Development Framework
• Past 4 years, focused on improving inefficiencies
  in IT development lifecycle
• Developing database-driven applications for the
  past 7 years
• For web, desktop and handheld on various platforms

3
Frameworks All the Rave

• Past year has seen database-driven development
  frameworks hit the mainstream
• Ruby on Rails (Ruby), Hibernate (Java),
  NHibernate (.NET), Cake (PHP), Qcodo (PHP), Zend
  PHP Framework (PHP)
• Focus Dont Repeat Yourself
• MySQL data model says so much already
• Metaprogramming
• Runtime Reflection (e.g. ActiveRecord)
• Code Generation
• Can account for 50 of your code base
• Real cost savings

4
Runtime Reflection

• Technique used by most DB/metaprogramming
  frameworks
• Core component Object Relational Mapper (most
  frameworks call it the ActiveRecord class)
• Allows for very light classes
• class Project extends ActiveRecord
• has_many gt TeamMembers
• belongs_to gt Client
• ActiveRecord provides CRUD (Create, Restore,
  Update and Delete) functionality, relationship
  handling and attribute properties
• Project objProject ProjectLoad(21)
• objProject-gtTitle ACME Website Redesign
• objProject-gtTeamMembers-gtAdd(PersonLoad(2815))
• objProject-gtSave()

5
Code Generation

• At the 50,000 foot level, seems very similar to
  Runtime Reflection
• Similar looking objects, exact same functionality
• Actual code is generated
• No central ActiveRecord class that runs all DB
  logic
• Advanced code generators use templates and
  subclasses
• Templates allow for easier global customization
  (for all classes)
• Subclasses allow for infinite local
  customizations (for an individual class)
• Changes will not be overwritten by code
  regeneration

6
Code Generation (continued)

• The person table will generate Person class
• Class PersonClass
• // Public Loader
• public static PersonClass New()
• public static PersonClass Load(intPersonId)
• // Methods
• public void Save()
• public void Delete()
• // Public Properties
• public string FirstName
• public string LastName
• public date DateOfBirth
• public int NumberOfCertifications
• public LoginClass Login
• public CompanyClass Company
• public RoleTypeEnum RoleType

7
Runtime Reflection, Advantages

• Simplicity
• Light code base Less Daunting
• Real-time Changes
• No need to regenerate your code

8
Code Generation, Advantages

• No Runtime Analysis Performance Hit
• Break Free
• Requires no runtime library
• Adding Global Functionality
• Database Archiving, Object Caching, Row- or
  Field-level permissions, etc.
• No Language Lock-in
• HTML templates, Javascript/AJAX, etc.

9
NASA Exploration Life SupportOnline Project
Information System

• OPIS is designed for Exploration Life Support
• With the constantly changing guidance for NASA
  and the space program, online knowledge
  management is crucial
• ELS is leading the way with Advanced RD in Life
  Support systems for Space Shuttle, Space Station,
  etc.
• There are 7 divisions in ELS (Air, Biomass,
  Controls, Food, Thermal, Waste, Water) with
  researchers across the country and around the
  world. Again, online knowledge management is
  crucial.
• Code Generation allowed for Rapid Prototyping
• Minimized time to development
• Minimized cost of change
• Im a true believer in code generation. NASA
  Civil Servant

10
The Qcodo Framework

• Code Generation-based Framework for PHP 5
• More advanced, open-source version of the
  framework used on NASA OPIS
• Allows for rapid prototyping of your application
• Lets developers focus on pure functionality,
  usability, performance and security
• Minimizes cost of change
• Two parts of the Framework
• Code Generator generates directly off a MySQL
  data model to create object code (Object
  Relational Model)
• Qforms is an object-oriented stateful
  event-driven architecture for HTML forms
  processing (e.g. ASP.NET, Java Struts, etc.)
• Uses robust OO architecture (templates,
  subclasses) to support unlimited
  customizations/modifications to generated code
• Code Regenerations will not overwrite
  customizations

11
The Qcodo Framework (continued)

• Lets take a look at a demo

12
Summary

• Code Generation supports rapid creation of
  prototypes that can easily mature into
  production-level apps
• Alleviates need for developers to worry about
  mundane, tedious wiring code
• Lets them instead focus on functionality,
  usability, performance and security
• Minimizes development time
• Minimizes cost of change

13
Qcodo, a PHP Development Framework

• Has been developing and improving since 2001
• Framework in production at wide variety of orgs
  small businesses, Fortune 500 companies and
  large (local and federal) govt organizations
• Proprietary parts of framework were rewritten
  (and improved upon), so that framework can be
  open-sourced
• Qcodo Beta 1 released October 2005
• Code Less. Do More.

14
MySQL and Zend

• MySQL
• MySQL 5.0 Database Server
• MySQL Connectors
• MySQL Tools
• http//www.mysql.com
• Zend
• Zend Studio 5
• Zend Platform
• http//www.zend.com

15
Questions? Whats Next?

• Nascent project is growing fast
• Very active open-source community
• Beta 2 out by end of year AJAX, Caching, Addl
  DB Adapters
• 1.0 Release targeted for Q1 2006
• For more information about the Qcodo Development
  Framework for PHP, please visit
  http//www.qcodo.com/
• Or e-mail Mike Ho (mike_at_quasidea.com)