PHP dev for KIOSK Deployment

shamly

Hi All,

I have a requirement to build a user interface for data entry which is to be deployed in a KIOSK where interactions are done via touch screen. Is this possible using PHP? Any examples available ?

Thanks

bastien

Yes, its possible. I remember a magazine article about it some years back. Googling left me unable to find it.

NogDog

Inasmuch as PHP normally is used for the server side of things, in a typical web-based application PHP would be essentially ignorant as to what the precise user interface was on the client side. Now if you're looking for a more custom, non-web implementation, you might possibly look into the PHP-GTK extension.

shamly

I was thinking that the interface can be done using AJAX with PHP. This will make the site more interactive. Yes I also thought of using PHP-GTK as well.

An example of such a deployment or code would be nice as this is the first time I am developing software for a KIOSK system.

Kudose

PHP-GTK is only for desktop applications I believe. You mentioned "site", so here is my suggestion based on previous experience.

Build the site in FireFox and deploy it, including Apache, PHP and MySQL. All you really need to do is make sure to style the elements big enough to use with a touch screen and the only licensing issue is with MySQL. You can deploy 3.x without a license, but newer versions require one for commercial deployment. You can program your KIOSK to look at a specified IP to act as the data server is you don't want local databases as well.

If you PM me I will shoot you a link to a site with example screen shots ... the company I worked for.

edit

You can use JavaScript to hide toolbars as well, to give a real "program" feel.

Weedpacket

Kudose wrote:
PHP-GTK is only for desktop applications I believe. You mentioned "site",

Yes, a kiosk can also be referred to as a "site" insofar as it is "sited" at a particular physical location (as was my experience last time I had anything to do with kiosks - they were "deployed to umpteen sites" and referred to as "sites" in phrases like "at each site we..."). So the "desktop application" approach is also valid.

NogDog

Kudose;10909496 wrote:
...the only licensing issue is with MySQL. You can deploy 3.x without a license, but newer versions require one for commercial deployment....

Do you have any reference for this? As far as I'm aware, the MySQL Community Edition is open-source under the GPL license at least through version 5.1. The only fees involved are if you want to go with the additional features and support of the Enterprise Edition.

Kudose

If you distribute MySQL with your closed source code and MySQL is the only supported RDBMS (i.e. you use the mysql_* functions), you must buy a license. If you use ODBC calls and generic SQL, but distribute MySQL, you don't need a license because the user is not tied to MySQL.

I am looking for documentation, but this was a heated discussion at work and I lost ... I was trying to find any way possible out of licensing based on our current code base. There way no way for a client to use a different RDBMS, so we had to license.

I'll post back cites when I have them.