Planet HTTP

Everybody uses it. Few people really utilize its features,and only a handful bring out the best in it. With this article,author Mike Wallner helps you become one of those people in thethird group by shedding some light on the features of HTTP. Alongthe way, you will learn how to make your life with HTTP easier byusing his HTTP PECL extension.—by Mike Wallner

Staying DRY with Code Generation in PHP

The simple Web site is becoming a thing of the past. Today,complex online systems and rich Web applications reign. Developersstruggle to meet demanding user requirements and stay on thecutting edge, if not the bleeding edge. As time becomes moreprecious, waste becomes more unacceptable. More than ever before,the modern Web developer needs to adopt practices and tools toremain efficient. Join Jason McCreary in discovering how toautomate some of the more repetitive development tasks.—by Jason McCreary

Application Development with PHP-GTK 2

PHP-GTK 2 enables you to achieve rapid applicationdevelopment through conventional GTK+ tools, such as Glade. PHP-GTK2 extensions also allow the developer to use certain specializedwidgets for special purposes. This article, the second of atwo-part series on PHP-GTK 2, by contributor Anant Narayanan, willtake a tour around some of the more advanced concepts in desktopapplication development using PHP.—by Anant Narayanan

Integrating OpenLaszlo with PHP

Rich Internet applications are a hot topic at present. Inthis article, returning author Titus Barik introduces OpenLaszlo,an upcoming technology designed to address this issue using XML andFlash. He explains how to embed OpenLaszlo applications into yourPHP scripts, and how you can use PHP as a bridge to communicateMySQL data via XML.—by Titus Barik

Security Corner: Configuration Security

One of the things that allows PHP to be as flexible as it is,is a fairly large set of configuration options that are oftencontrolled via the php.ini configuration file. These configurationdirectives dictate the behavior of the language, which in turnpermits different modes of operation, depending on theuser’s needs and environment. Explore thesecurity implications of various settings with security expert IliaAlshanetsky.—by Ilia Alshanetsky

Test Pattern: Variations on a Theme

Chances are, you’ve searched for the Holy Grail of code:ultimate reusability. Supporting variation from a single code base,however, presents a special set of challenges. This month, TestPattern readers benefit from Jeff Moore’s wealth of experience insoftware design, both anecdotally and academically.—by Jeff Moore