defining tasks suitable for php

gwalsh

Over the years I have workied with html, JavaScript, C and ISAM btree data bases to power production web sites.

I have been digesting Welling and Thomson, "PHP and MySQL Web Development", Third Edition.
That's 900 pages I have used for inspiration, along with several books on CSS.

I'm committed now to employ CSS2 (strict) with MySQL and PHP5, all of which are on my own development server, running Mandriva 2006.1.

The application involves an extensive series of guidance, employment and counselling tests. Some of these services involve 12 subtests and will require from 1 to 3 hours to complete. I am supposedly retired now, so this has carried on as a labor of love. I don't have the luxury of specialists to tackle this with me, as in the past, so it can seem pretty daunting at times.

Okay ... enough of the background.

The tests are all finalized in terms of content. They have all been marked-up for that content, ready for styling. The framework of the new site has been drawn up. In practice, each test will be presented in turn.

I understand that I can utilize PHP(5) to audit and score each test, replacing JavaScript entirely. True?

I do NOT know how best to bring up and place the test forms, but assume this is easily handled with PHP script as well. True? Some sample scripts I might look at to do this?

The test items could also be stored in MySQL and pulled in by PHP rather than scrolling through a full length form. Each has its advantages according to the test content and I'd like to utilize both. To pull from MySQL, I assume I'd retrieve the marked-up item as a whole.

Is this properly an object-oriented (OO) application?

I'm too old to need spoon-feeding, but it would be wonderful just to know that I am on-track with these plans. I'd like to be able to start gathering norm groups before the end of May.

Possible? Or out-to-lunch?

Thanks so much for sharing with me.

George

bpat1434

I understand that I can utilize PHP(5) to audit and score each test, replacing JavaScript entirely. True?

True to an extent. If you code client-side (so the browser doesn't refresh) then PHP can't do that since it's a server-side language. All updates will be done with page refreshes. And you could store the information in the SESSION array until the end.

I do NOT know how best to bring up and place the test forms, but assume this is easily handled with PHP script as well. True?

True, but you still have to have an idea as to what order and how they're displayed. Other than that, PHP can place them as you please.

Is this properly an object-oriented (OO) application?

If you want it to be. Or it can be procedural. Either way will do what you need. It may sometimes be easier to write it procedural, and then go object-oriented for a first-timer. Just to get things down in process.

Possible? Or out-to-lunch?

Totally possible. I wrote an article on here about doing an online survey and storing the info in a mySQL database. Feel free pick what you need from it and use it. The link is in my sig.

gwalsh

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response. I'll follow through with the online survey examples on Monday.

I think what I needed - and you have provided - was the confidence that I am not trying to do the impossible in what is a very major application. I didn't want to take the wrong fork in the road at this critical point.

Again, my thanks for sharing and helping!

George

Roger_Ramjet

gwalsh wrote:
To pull from MySQL, I assume I'd retrieve the marked-up item as a whole.

George

You could do but usually one would store the questions and answer data in the db and drop it into the markup at runtime. That way you can have an html template that is editable without then having to edit everything stored in the database as well.