Quick Way To Learn Php For Specific Purpose?

[zbdblues]

Hi everyone, thanks for taking the time to read my Q. I know very little about PHP, I'm able to work out problems if I come across a faulty script, or need to do an adaptation, but couldn't possible write a script of my own.

I really want to learn PHP but my current problems are more urgent and I would much prefer to gain an understanding as to where to start in addressing current issues.

I have 5 open source scripts which i need to integrate so that when you log in to one, you've logged into all of them. Two of these scripts may not be worth bothering about immediately because they may present other problems, but i'll mention them because they may just provide an easier answer, but let's look at them separately for the moment.

Of the three, one is called MKPortal, a discontinued portal script. It has been written in a way that allows it to share a log in system with a variety of forums such as Phpbb, AEF, etc. It's currently installed with AEF, but I would prefer to integrate it with ELGG, an open source CMS. I notice that the file structure of MKP and AEF is: root/index.php, root/mkportal (folder) and root/AEF (folder). The index.php then presents a lot of options written in php which check to see which board is installed and there is an include folder which has separate folders for each diffeent type of forum. Each of these folders include 3 files giving details to MKP as to how to log in etc. So I would need to create a new folder for ELGG with these same 3 files but in refernce to ELGG. What's puzzling me is that when i compare these files against each other, (eg the driver.php of AEF and the driver.php of Phpbb, they seem to be written much differently.

So the question here is does anyone know what I should be looking for when writing or adapting the files for a specific forum/cms?

Next Q, the third script is called Question2Answer, a yahoo answers type script which allows single sign on, but needs a bit of adapting to implement this.

The way it would work would be MKportal gets it's log-in data from (currently) AEF and Q2A would then also get it's log-in info from AEF. But...in the instructions for integrating the log in included with Q2A, it doesn't make provision for the path that MKP/AEF uses.

EG: Q2A's instructions give examples for integrating it, one of those is:

Example 1 - using absolute URLs, suitable if:

return array(

'login' => 'http://www.mysite.com/login'

'register' => 'http://www.mysite.com/register'

'logout' => 'http://www.mysite.com/logout'

);

BUT, AEF/MKP doesn't use login/register/logout, it uses index.php?login, index.php?logout, index.php?register

So confusion!

 

Now on to the other 2 scripts, here I'm confronted with a dilemma.

The first script is an email system similar to gmail or yahoo etc. This is written in perl.

The second script is a personal identity server which provides users with an open id and a profile/blog.

If i were to use the id server, then MKP/AEF and ELGG could all rely on that for their log in instead, but how do I write an open id log in for each?

So the final problem would be with the email system.

The personal Id server provides a user with www.name.idserver.com, a url, not an email address.

So if i could get the other scripts to work with open id, how would i integrate the email system? Eaut? (email address to url translation) and if so, how?

 

I know it's complicated, I probably can't do it myself, but i feel learning PHP now would'nt help in a hurry!

So can anyone give me any pointers as to how to understand log in systems, Oauth, and Eaut?

Thanks for your input.

Edited October 29, 2012 by zbdblues

[Muddy_Funster]

For help in a hurry your going to need to out source it.

 

Your talking about multiple script integration (with at least one of them obsolite so your talking about integrating scripts written for different versions of PHP as well) as well as playing with perl. For all the hastle your bringing on yourself I can't help but feel there must be a better solution available.

 

There is no "quick fix" to get what you have all talking together (that I know of).

[Beeeeney]

You either pay to get this done or learn PHP the hard way.

[akphidelt2007]

There is no quick way. There is long hours and a lot of red bull ahead of you.

[jazzman1]

There is no quick way. There is long hours and a lot of red bull ahead of you.

 

Agreed!

[codydaig]

Are you set on using these exact pieces of software or are you possibly looking into exploring other options? I work a lot with multisite integration with PHP and would be willing to look into this more and figure out a solution if possible. Go ahead and shoot me an email at cody@daig.me and we can figure something out.

[zbdblues]

Thanks for all the above answers, i knew it wasn't going to be easy! Have sent you an email cody, thanks for taking the time.