Im eager to start and curious to know where I should focus my efforts. Im thinking of setting up a simple page at first to ask a user for mysql database name, username and password to connect to and go from there, what do you think?
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A good idea – Gram's code will come in handy regardless of what direction the project takes.
Anyhow, I think we need to collect our thoughts as to how we want to use ClassyPHP. There are now four of us involved in the project, and we should unite as to the direction of the project.
Here's the cross road: ClassyPHP (a silly name indeed) could be one of the following:
1) a set of tools targeting developers. "The third window" in a PHP developing environment, besides the text editor and the browser window. This is the way I've been using ClassyPHP up until now: paste some code, click a button, copy the generated code. Over and over again.
2) a wizard, i.e. a continuous workflow in multiple steps guiding the user throughout the development process. Such a wizard could for instance start at the stage of modelling a database, and end in a zip package containing all the classes, includes and html forms.
Personally I'm leaning towards the "third window" option due to the following rationale: Forget about the "users" and target groups - _we_ are the target group. This is _our_ tool. How would _we_, as php developers, like to use it? What do _we_ need to get more effective? What other intelligence-liberated duties, besides writing trivial class code for SQL tables, do we need to put up with?
What are your thoughts on this?
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Hi, I was thinking about a wizard approach too last night. A developer could open the webpage where ClassyPHP is hosted and is asked questions like : Do you have existing database tables, or do you want to create? Each option producing its own path and options. This is just an example question.
I like the idea of it ending in a zip file, but if its creating database relatied items, couldnt it update your mysql database right there and then too, might be useful for some to have it create the tables for them, especially if there are 'templates' and guidelines.
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Once all the functionality is implemented, we could easily place a wizard on top of it.
Although, I do have a gripe: Wizard-style user interfaces are really good at helping novices accomplish difficult tasks by asking questions. I. e. an abstraction layer over tasks they seldom perform and thus never remember or don't (have to) understand.
Currently we're targeting developers, who should know exactly what they're doing. In many cases, one might just use ClassyPHP to generate a missing HTML form. Or just the script fed by that form. In these (still representative) cases, the user interface should provide easy access to any kind of code generation on the fly.
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Im eager to start and curious to know where I should focus my efforts. Im thinking of setting up a simple page at first to ask a user for mysql database name, username and password to connect to and go from there, what do you think?
A good idea – Gram's code will come in handy regardless of what direction the project takes.
Anyhow, I think we need to collect our thoughts as to how we want to use ClassyPHP. There are now four of us involved in the project, and we should unite as to the direction of the project.
Here's the cross road: ClassyPHP (a silly name indeed) could be one of the following:
1) a set of tools targeting developers. "The third window" in a PHP developing environment, besides the text editor and the browser window. This is the way I've been using ClassyPHP up until now: paste some code, click a button, copy the generated code. Over and over again.
2) a wizard, i.e. a continuous workflow in multiple steps guiding the user throughout the development process. Such a wizard could for instance start at the stage of modelling a database, and end in a zip package containing all the classes, includes and html forms.
Personally I'm leaning towards the "third window" option due to the following rationale: Forget about the "users" and target groups - _we_ are the target group. This is _our_ tool. How would _we_, as php developers, like to use it? What do _we_ need to get more effective? What other intelligence-liberated duties, besides writing trivial class code for SQL tables, do we need to put up with?
What are your thoughts on this?
Hi, I was thinking about a wizard approach too last night. A developer could open the webpage where ClassyPHP is hosted and is asked questions like : Do you have existing database tables, or do you want to create? Each option producing its own path and options. This is just an example question.
I like the idea of it ending in a zip file, but if its creating database relatied items, couldnt it update your mysql database right there and then too, might be useful for some to have it create the tables for them, especially if there are 'templates' and guidelines.
Once all the functionality is implemented, we could easily place a wizard on top of it.
Although, I do have a gripe: Wizard-style user interfaces are really good at helping novices accomplish difficult tasks by asking questions. I. e. an abstraction layer over tasks they seldom perform and thus never remember or don't (have to) understand.
Currently we're targeting developers, who should know exactly what they're doing. In many cases, one might just use ClassyPHP to generate a missing HTML form. Or just the script fed by that form. In these (still representative) cases, the user interface should provide easy access to any kind of code generation on the fly.