Lookee!

[matgb]

http://www.taktix.org/test.php

What's so good about that you ask? It hasn't got anything new and the links don't all work.

Simple says I. Look at the domain name carefully. It's PHP generated! Yippe ki yay! I've taught myself php :-D

test.php has 8 lines of code total, but it inserts 7 separate elements, each of which is independently updateable.

That means there's a small chance I may get around to doing more to the site from now on.

Oh yeah, my old monitor flickered and started smoking late last night (if it hadn't I'd have done this post yesterday before bed), so I went to Staples on a mission and am now the proud owner of a flat screen. I considered buying a new laptop, but have decided to teach myself how to build a system from scratch instead. Too much megatokyo perchance?

Um, anyone out there that knows how to build PCs, feel free to tell me where to, um, start. I'm not really much of a techie...

Comments

[mapp.livejournal.com]

I'm going back to Exeter on the fourth. If you want to meet up at some point and either sit in front of a computer or, perhaps, go down to the PC World (it's evil, but they do have buckets of parts), then I'm game for it...

[harlotqueen.livejournal.com]

You are aware that PC World in Exeter are now on Rydon Lane (by the big Tesco)

Most connections in modern PC's are colour coded now to make thinks easier

[mapp.livejournal.com]

Most connections in modern PC's are colour coded now to make thinks easier

I taught my brother about how to put together a computer by pointing out that most cards will only fit in one kind of slot, and providing you don't try and force anything in, you won't go too far wrong.

The only difficult bits are, in my opinion;
1) Connecting drives. I always forget, for some reason, to link them together in a sensible order. Whoops.
2) Making sure you've got the right motherboard for your RAM and processor.
3) Not cutting yourself on the sharp bits inside a computer.

[harlotqueen.livejournal.com]

*agrees with 3*

Athlon Fans are a bitch!

[mapp.livejournal.com]

My family have a tendency to ask awkward questions like: "When the computer technician came round to fix our computer, he noticed lots of bloodstains inside the case."

Important note; do not tell family that you sacrifice chickens to the Machine.

[matgb]

You're all making it sound much easier, which cheers me up.

Thanks for the offers of help; not likely to be any progress until after I get back from Greece in Feb (finance for project determined by how much spent on alcohol), but appreciate the offers :-D

[johnwordsworth.livejournal.com]

Hey Mat, if you ever want any help with either PHP or putting a PC together - feel free to prod me, I've been doing both now for far too much of my life...

My only real PHP tip is - RTFM. No - seriously, the function reference on the php site (which you can download in 'windows help format') really is everything you will ever need once you understand the logic behind functions etc.

As for putting your own PC together, the hardest part now-a-days is simply making sure you've bought all the bits, and that they are the right bits. Ensure that the speed of the RAM and that the processor clock speed is supported by your motherboard, and be sure not to forget something tiny like the Fan, the thermal grease or a power cable if the case doesn't come with one...

If you want me to come round and give you a hand sometime - just give me a prod, I'll gladly help out in any way that I can.

[matgb]

Yeah, the logic behind php is fairly easy; I bought php&MySQL for dummies, and every 'common' mistake she warns about I made. Looking things up, spotting the missing " or ; and generally experimenting.

I likes, something to play with for awhile anyway...

Thx for the offer on the build thing, probably take you up on it sometime, possibly not immediately tho.

[sinju.livejournal.com]

Hooray for Pulp :)

And congrats on learning php, I wouldn't know where to start with that...

[matgb]

Tis actually (well, the bits I wanted) very easy, which surprised me (and if I find it easy, it really is). The php code for the page is 7 lines, including start and stop. The rest is define variables (content=intro page and author=me) and tell the page what other files to 'include'. All the included stuff is html in different files, so when I want to change the formatting, sort the layout out, get rid of that horrible table and make it look all pretty, I change 0ne file and all the pages using it are updated at the same time. Really cool. If it works...

[johnwordsworth.livejournal.com]

Tip (Something I do on ALL my websites)
The most simple type of template system (where you can have every page on your site change with one edit), is only on more step from what you've already got...

Have a "_content.php" file that defines 2 functions "printPageStart()" and "printPageEnd()". They would look something like...

";
include("header.htm");
}
?>

Then in any file you want to fit into the template, you just have to include....



Really sorry if this sounds at all preachy. I wanted to just write it out as an explaination, but I realised it was much easier just to write some sample code so you could see what I mean.

The only advantage of doing it this way instead of having a bunch of include(html) lines in your code is that if you decide that you want to also have another include() (say you want to have a side bar or something), you don't have to go through every file to add it, you just change your printPageStart() function. Again, hope this is actually useful, and not just a load of worthless crap ;)

[johnwordsworth.livejournal.com]

Sorry, Live Journal stripped all the good bits... printPageStart was SUPPOSED to look like...

<?php
function printPageStart( $pageTitle ) {
echo "<html><head><title>$pageTitle</title></head>";
include("header.htm");
}
?>

(Dear lord - that was a mission to write in!!)