Can we get a quickfire Q&A thread?

[webmaster1]

Often, I'll put off asking certain questions in the PHP coding help section because I can't justify starting up an entire thread for a question that requires quick verification or theoretical explanation rather than appraising specific blocks of code.

 

e.g. What's the difference between destroying and killing a session?

 

Rather than posting a thread for the above example I'd usually just make an educated guess but a quickfire thread could easily dispel any ambiguity. I believe that such a thread would be popular due to the answers being less laborious. I for one, would lurk around the thread frequently in hopes of assisting a fellow members.

 

Thread Specifications: One continuous stickied thread that is never closed. Questions must be brief, require a brief response and of a theoretical, conceptual or verifiable nature.

 

Thread scope: I'd be happy to seethis  in the PHP coding help section but the HTML and CSS sections would be a bonus.

 

Just some food for thought. I could be alone on this.

 

[oni-kun]

We do have an IRC channel which was designed for this.

[webmaster1]

I see. Just found it through google: http://www.phpfreaks.com/page/irc-live-chat

 

I'm not very familiar with IRC. I've ended up on a Mibbit page asking me to choose a channel.

 

Is IRC currently used a whole lot between members in relation to quickfire coding help?

[Daniel0]

Well, the IRC server is currently down. For now you may join ##phpfreaks on irc.freenode.net.

[salathe]

Fire away in this thread.

[webmaster1]

Well, the IRC server is currently down. For now you may join ##phpfreaks on irc.freenode.net.

 

Thanks.

 

Fire away in this thread.

 

Alritey. Do I need to close all of my database connections? (mysql_close($link);)

[Daniel0]

Alritey. Do I need to close all of my database connections? (mysql_close($link);)

 

Normally, no. PHP's garbage collection will free the resource when script execution ends. You only need to do that if you for whatever reason need to close it before that happens.

[webmaster1]

Cheers. What's the best free PHP editor featuring colored keywords and suggestions à la Dreamweaver?

[webmaster1]

Is there such a thing as using the include() or require() functions too much?

[webmaster1]

Is there a difference between

<?php

and

<?

?

[salathe]

Cheers. What's the best free PHP editor featuring colored keywords and suggestions à la Dreamweaver?

 

Try and bunch and work it out for yourself. This question is so subjective that any editor or IDE that we named could really not suit you.

[salathe]

Is there such a thing as using the include() or require() functions too much?

 

Yes, but you have to be using some really mammoth codebase or doing something silly to reach that "too much" level.

[salathe]

Is there a difference between

<?php

and

<?

?

 

Three characters.

 

Also, the short tag might not be turned on (there's a php.ini short_open_tag setting for that) so you cannot always assume it will be available. 

[webmaster1]

Cheers, salathe!

[TeddyKiller]

For PHP tags, you could also use..

<%

and

<script language="php"></script>

Although like salathe stated.. short tags can be turned off, and on via PHP.ini. I haven't used <% on the web yet. The short tags are <? and <%. I think the script method is always on.. not sure if you can turn it off.

[cags]

The <% tags aren't short tags (well ok so they are the same length as short_tags, hence they are short in length, but they aren't controlled by the short_open_tag setting) they are ASP style tags and are controlled via the asp_tags settings in php.ini.

[TeddyKiller]

The <% tags aren't short tags (well ok so they are the same length as short_tags, hence they are short in length, but they aren't controlled by the short_open_tag setting) they are ASP style tags and are controlled via the asp_tags settings in php.ini.

 

Ahh, I knew they were ASP, aswell as <? is SGML, just thought they were both controlled as short tags. Oh well, my mistake Thanks.

[oni-kun]

Three characters.

 

Also, the short tag might not be turned on (there's a php.ini short_open_tag setting for that) so you cannot always assume it will be available.

 

Maybe short tags should be placed into the swear (in programming language?) filter on SMF.

[ot]So many "shy" emoticons you use[/ot]

[salathe]

Maybe short tags should be placed into the swear (in programming language?) filter on SMF.

Maybe. Sure, why not.

 

[ot]So many "shy" emoticons you use[/ot]

It's a faithful reflection of my personality.

[TeddyKiller]

Maybe short tags should be placed into the swear (in programming language?) filter on SMF.

Maybe. Sure, why not.

Filtering it to be the long php tags?

[oni-kun]

I like the idea, I mean the simplicity of asking something without all the overhead is nice. But it's just simply not such a good practise. Users may get confused if a lot is posted, and it may defer somewhat amount of valued traffic (such as SE indexing), IRC just seems most familiar for it, a lot of good posters hang around there.

 

I guess this thread could be a suitable mini-Q&A thread for awhile, it's not bad in any way if one has a lot of random questions they're wondering about, It's more productive than a prolonged thread in PHP Help that only attracts a few people who've only read the title (that won't know there are other questions within)

[TeddyKiller]

Yeah. I guess we could make a thread simply called

"Quickfire Q&A Thread"

This will make it a more permenant solution to this actual thread, and giving users the chance to post questions inside as the title would say it all.

[oni-kun]

PHP Help is "Do you need help with some code you wrote?" and miscellaneous questions thread would fit nicely here  But it's really not a 'need', Maybe write a suggestion in the appropriate forum and see what comes of it!

[premiso]

"Quickfire Q&A Thread"

 

That would work until Oni-kun finds the topic and ventures it off topic with one of his rants. Which is most likely this has never been done. It would be too easy to go off topic, like I just have done for this thread. Soon enough Thorpe may come along and lock it for going so far off topic

[oni-kun]

On topic supportive thoughts about the thread was too much?

 

Why don't you grow up and follow what you're preaching.