[SOLVED] Advanced Applications

[jamesl73]

I'm looking for a book or some lessons on taking my php programming to the next level.  I've skimmed through all the ebooks on PHP I can find and can't seem to find what I'm looking for.  I've been trying to analyze some nice apps like Gallery and PHPBB but I find myself getting lost in the code.  The ebooks I have don't seem to touch on the advanced techniques of these apps. 

 

My current goal is creating an installer for a small app I'm writing that does all the check I need it to do and setup the database and config file.  I'm just currently not at a level where I can break down how Gallery and PHPBB installers function so I can apply the appropriate pieces to my app.

 

So to sum it up.  I'm looking for advice on how I transition from beginner php programming to intermediate and advanced programming.

 

These books don't seem to do it for me.

PHP 5 Advanced; Larry Ullman

earning PHP and MySQL, Second Edition; Michele E. Davis, Jon A. Phillips (O'Reilly, 2007)

Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP and MySQL, Third Edition; Kevin Yank (SitePoint, 2004)

 

[Philip]

I'm looking for advice on how I transition from beginner php programming to intermediate and advanced programming.

 

There isn't a wrong or right way to do this. I'd suggest looking at your code, figure out more efficient ways of doing it - think outside the box (or at least on the edge of the box.) Try OOP designs if you haven't already.

 

My current goal is creating an installer for a small app I'm writing that does all the check I need it to do and setup the database and config file.

 

That seems simple enough, to check permissions and such, are there specific questions you had with that?

[mystery_man]

I would suggest looking at OOP and other commonly used design patterns to get a good understanding of what techniques are currently being used, and which ones work well. It does not neccasarilly imply looking at the code itself (although it is also important), but also understanding the concepts behind these techniques.

 

Reccomendation: Their is an course on Lynda.com called "PHP: Beyond the basics" by Kevin Skoglund which was my Eureka in php, me only having started about 6 months ago. This is a really great resource, as it not only teaches and shows cool concepts, but also opens your mind to how things might be done better.

[jamesl73]

I guess I'm on the right track then.  I just started reading Object-Oriented PHP - Concepts, Techniques, and Code; Peter Lavin (No Starch Press, 2006).  And I will look into lynda.com as well.