When Was the Last Time I Made a Web App

Silver Surfer
Web Development

The sword is really rusty for me, since I started on being a service engineer, I missed the times I created something from scratch and presented it to a client. Reminiscing those good old days, well there is no excuse to create something like that today.

From the previous post I discussed on how to power up your machine with Symfony. Then next we will create small system that will use our framework. Here we will create the concept of our Web Application.

What you should learn first

Framework is for advanced users actually, so what you need first in building your next web application.

HTML – This is the framework of your work, your skeleton. This is where it will start, this is where it will end. You need to learn this one first since you are working with tags mostly and you will embed it either in PHP or in Javascript.

Javascript – You have your skeleton, we need a soul, this is the interaction begins. Javascript is the one you can rely on user experience definitely a taker.

PHP – Basic PHP will do, just need to understand the starts and the exits of the code and its function, its purpose. You need a debugger on this one since you need to track on how it works.

These three are the fundamentals the next are the secondary skill you should know but as equal important, since you are on your own.

CSS – Learn the basics, try it for yourself, try a few codes and see what it can do. These are all cosmetic but equally important as the first three.

Design – Not all people can design, not all people has taste. Have few tutorials online on how to create interfaces. These are essential also that goes hand in hand with the function of your web application.

I already mentioned some tools of the trade on creating a website here is the list. Next will be the concept.

We will start creating a simple web page first before the hard ones.

What is PHP Framework? Why Use it Anyway?

PHP Framework

A lot of people asked this and we usually get a lot of answers based on biased users who uses a certain framework that works for them. Well hopefully I beg to differ in defining them since I am not an advocate myself, I just try them.

Most of the people would go recommending their favorite framework that works for them. We would hear a lot of easy to use, short learning curve, small footprint and whole lot of convenience factors that would convince a novice to use the one the responder is using. Personally I won’t recommend any of the framework to a novice, it would skip a lot of techniques that a novice should know first before using a framework.

From the word framework its a skeleton that would make up the process of the web application you are trying to build. Why process and not the look of the web app itself? Looks are different from how the thing works. It is more of a structure than a template. It evolves more of the server side on how the data or information is processed and showed in front of your web application. Maybe in some cases that the PHP framework would cross the web design aspect of building the website or web application but that would be 10% or less of your framework can do in the whole process of designing the website. Looks and layout would still lie on the CSS Framework or grid systems you are using or on a javascript framework you are using in building. The framework would be responsible mostly on the development on how the data is processed and the response of your web application to the user.

Why I would not recommend it to a beginner? Well basically I have this principle if you used to build the easy way around it would be tougher to build something complicated in the future. Maybe I am wrong with this principle but for me it would be better to have a deeper foundation in how the whole PHP works than jumping to frameworks since it is the easiest way to build websites. I would still recommend to create simple pages out of PHP core to experience the language then push your limits to more complicated ones, then when you jump to frameworks it would be a lot more easier and you can maximize the full potential of the framework.

Why use a framework? It is convenient and the building of websites is really fast. Plus if you are already an advanced PHP coder you can bend and customize classes of your own in a framework that would create a whole lot of options in building websites. You can build your own process inside the framework a new module for your clients in a more convenient way. Frameworks are also lightweight meaning since it is already optimized fetching information would be faster meaning more productivity to  your clients.

If you would choose your framework check the community and support to your framework. Nothing beats a good support. Also a healthy community that would help you building your first web application.
Happy Coding.

Missing Dev Already

Web Development
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