Crunching Data with PHP

There are various file formats to archive, pack, zip orcrunch data. PHP supports many of them, in different ways: usingexternal PHP scripts, PEAR packages or PHP extensions. In thisarticle, author Christian Wenz explores the world of compressionmechanisms using all that PHP has to offer!—by Christian Wenz

Strengthening the Authentication Process

A login screen–what could be simpler? Well, if you want a safe login screen andcan’t afford the luxury of running an HTTPS connection, things arenot so simple after all. Join author Graeme Foster as he explainsseveral ways in which you can make the gateway to your secureapplications safer with nothing more than PHP, JavaScript and awhole lot of programming smarts.—by Graeme Foster

An XML approach to Templating using PHPTAL

A lot has been done—and said—about templatesystems in PHP, but, still, no real conclusion has been reached.Author José Pablo Ezequiel Fernández Silva examinesPHPTAL, a PHP implementation of TAL, the Template AttributeLanguage that is very well know among Zope programmers. Unlike manyother templating systems that use custom syntax, TAL is entirelybased on XML, making it easier to understand for developers anddesigners alike.
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Turning a Class Into an Application With PHP-GTK

Tired of having to write a new script for every PEAR packagehe released, Scott Mattocks decided to wrap thePEAR_PackageFileManager class in a GUI to make generating packagefiles a snap. This article details the process that he went throughto create his application and highlights how you can use PHP-GTK todo the same with your classes.—by Scott Mattocks

Priming PHP for the Enterprise

“PHP in the Enterprise” is beginning to sound like “thepaperless office.” Luckily, there’s a lot less of avapourware aura around the former than around the latter, as thisinterview with Cornelius Willis, IdeaLabs’ Vice-president ofSales and Marketing, shows.—by Marco Tabini

Test Pattern: The Three Inch High Design Tool

Want a design tool created by a world class developer? Wantone that does not just encourage good design, but helps teach it?Want one that encourages collabo-rative design in the face of thedisparate personalities involved? Don’t know UML? Not muchmoney? Don’t worry. “Class ResponsibilityCollaboration” cards, or CRC cards for short, are one of thecheapest development tools you can buy. Superficially, they arenothing more than a pack of index cards.—by Marcus Baker

Security Corner: Magic Quotes

This month’s Security Corner topic is magic quotes, thecollective term for the behaviour of the magic_quotes_gpc,magic_quotes_sybase, and magic_quotes_runtime configurationdirectives. Chris’ approach this month is a bit different, becauseinstead of highlighting a best practice or describing a securitysafeguard, he wants to warn you against relying on insufficientprotections. Betting all your security money on magic quotes ismore than just a red herring—it is actually a very poorpractice, and this month’s Security Corner will explain why.—by Chris Shiflett