14. PHP generation in practice

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Overview
What is a PHP site?
Why develop a PHP site with WEBDEV?
Features of PHP project
Creating a PHP project
PHP RAD
Running the test of a PHP site in the editor
Deploying a PHP site

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14. PHP generation in practice

Table of contents

Overview

WEBDEV allows you to generate PHP sites without even knowing the PHP language. The site can be entirely developed in WLanguage, like any standard WEBDEV site. However, you have the ability to enter your own PHP code (server code).

What is a PHP site?

A PHP site is compiled in PHP. If this site uses a database, this database will be accessed via an ODBC driver (MyODBC, ODBC for Oracle, etc.) or via the Native MySQL Connector (also called Native Access).

The ODBC driver is specific to each database (it can be found on the site of the database publisher).

A PHP site includes ".php" pages and it requires a PHP engine to be run.

To compile (in PHP) a PHP project with WEBDEV, a PHP engine must be installed on the development computer. Several PHP engines are available on Internet. You must download one and install it. For example, you can use EasyPHP (http://www.easyphp.org/). This engine is used for example only, you can use any other PHP engine.

Remark: PHP version 4.3.2 (or later) is required. A MySQL database is required. The PHP sites generated by WEBDEV can also be used by PHP servers version 5 or 7.

Why develop a PHP site with WEBDEV?

For some sites (especially small ones), it may be useful to develop these sites in PHP in order for them to be hosted at no extra cost. You now have the ability to do it with WEBDEV.

Remark: The number of WLanguage functions that can be used in a PHP project is limited in this version. This number of functions will increase in the forthcoming versions.

Features of PHP project

Creating a PHP project

The method for creating a PHP project is the same as the method for creating any WEBDEV project:

Click among the quick access buttons of WEBDEV. The element creation window appears: click "Project".
The project creation wizard starts.
In one of the first steps of the wizard, you can choose how your project will be generated. To do so, select "PHP" and follow the wizard.
As soon as the project is configured as a PHP project, all the tools available in WEBDEV are automatically configured for the PHP project:
- The PHP RAD that generates the PHP code from a project for several WEBDEV features.
- The compiler indicates the functions or controls that cannot be used in PHP. A purple message is displayed in the "Compilation errors" pane.
- Deploying the PHP site is proposed via WDDeploy.

Remark: We advise you create a new WEBDEV project to develop a PHP site rather than transform a WEBDEV site into PHP.

PHP RAD

Like for any project associated with an analysis, the RAD can be used to generate the pages of your site.

The RAD takes into account all the specific features of PHP generation (controls, events, functions that can be used in a PHP site generated from WEBDEV).

Running the test of a PHP site in the editor

During the test of a PHP site, the site is compiled in PHP and it is started in your browser. You see the PHP pages generated by WEBDEV.
Reminder: A PHP engine is required on the development computer.

The compilation of a PHP site is used to:

find out the WLanguage programming errors.
see the controls, events, WLangage functions not available in PHP generation. These errors appear in purple in the "Compilation errors" pane.

For more details on WEBDEV elements that are not available in a PHP site, see WLanguage functions available (or not) in PHP.

Deploying a PHP site

The method for deploying a PHP site is identical to the method for deploying a static site. When creating the setup procedure, WDDeploy helps you implement your PHP site.