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Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:27 UTC
It’s been a week since Day 3 (Day 2 for those on the zero-indexed conference time-table), and it’s high time I got around to writing up my thoughts on the conference…
I arrived late to Sebastian Bergmann’s “Graph-Oriented Programming with PHP” presentation, where he showed how to use graph-oriented programming to implement workflows in PHP applications.
Next up was Maggie Nelson’s “How to Optimize a Database Query,” about which others have written nice things. (As a side note, Maggie presented this with live examples from the Oracle command line interface instead of using slides—a difficult and risky way to present, but she pulled it off flawlessly.)
After that, I sat in on Ed Finkler’s “Intro to Code Igniter” presentation. As a minimalistic framework (which I love), Code Igniter appears promising, but I was a bit disappointed to see that it makes attempts to be supported on PHP 4, so there are no advanced OOP techniques being used.
The highlight of the day came next with Terry Chay’s new talk “The Internet Is An Ogre: Finding Art in the Software Architecture” where Terry was his typical self, dropping the f-bomb and pointing out where popular books are dead wrong. I look forward to watching him present this again at ZendCon and seeing how it’s evolved by then.
Finally Chris Jones and Ed Finkler rounded out the day with “Next Generation Database Applications” and “Securing the PHP Environment With PhpSecInfo” (respectively).
In all, this was one of the best PHP conferences I’ve attended. I agree with Ed, who said, “php|architect conferences lack pretension, and that’s really nice—it’s about the people and sharing knowledge.” This really was the case. And there wasn’t a time slot that I couldn’t find something of interest to attend; all the speakers and topics were interesting and relevant. Kudos to the folks at php|architect for having the discernment to select excellent presenters/topics!
There was one thing, however, that was a shame: although the event was held in Atlanta, there were few locals in attendance. I counted about five or six from the Atlanta PHP user group, but apart from that, I don’t know of any others from Atlanta who attended.
Atlanta PHP developers: you had a PHP conference in your backyard, and you missed it! What a wasted opportunity!
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Tags: conferences, php, phpworks, phpworks2007, works07
Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:03 UTC
Even though today is officially “day 1” of php|works, I consider it “day 2” because I spent the majority of yesterday (six hours of it) standing and talking to a room full of people about topics they need to know to pass the Zend Certification Exam. It was a tiring day, and my lack of sleep and trek through two hours of Atlanta rush-hour traffic didn’t help. Still, I made it through the day, I think the tutorial was a success, and I hope that those attending who took the exam yesterday or today passed with flying colors.
Today began with Andrei Zmievski’s keynote entitled “The Future: PHP6,” or “Im in ur endginn, playin wif ur stringz.” Here are a few notes I gleaned from his presentation:
- Unicode is so simple you could probably explain it to Paris Hilton, or Miss Teen South Carolina might be able to explain it to you.
- PHP6 = PHP5 + Unicode, PHP5 = PHP6 – Unicode, Unicode = PHP6 – PHP5
- mojibake: phenomenon of incorrect, unreadable characters shown when software fails to render a text according to its associated encoding
- “APC is the best thing to happen to PHP since Rasmus stopped working on it single-handedly.”
- “Ask yourself: Can I live with PHP 4? Until 8/8/8? If yes, you’re done. Thanks for playing.”
Afterwards, I supported my colleague, Maggie Nelson, by attending her talk, “You Don’t Need A DBA.” I had the opportunity to see a preliminary version of her talk, and while I enjoyed the preliminary version, she had vastly improved it with great examples and information.
After Maggie’s presentation, it was my turn to give my talk “Designing RESTful Web Applications.” The slides for this talk are already available on my site.
Due to some unavoidable distractions from work, I had to miss the lunchtime keynote, “PHP 4 is dead! Migrate your code,” delivered by Chris Shiflett. This was unfortunate because I was apparently featured in all my drunken karaoke glory on one of the slides. Now, I’ll never know how I helped to convince people to transition from PHP 4 to PHP 5.
The highlight presentation of the day, though, was perhaps Sara Golemon’s “How PHP Ticks.” In this talk, Sara explained how the PHP engine converts PHP code into tokens, which get further converted into their opcodes that the Zend engine then runs. It was very informative and not at all dry, due mostly in part to Sara’s sense of humor and presentation style. Two big take-aways from this talk:
- Use token_get_all() to get all the tokens in your script
Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:24 UTC
Here are the slides from my Designing RESTful Web Applications presentation I gave today at php|works.
REST (or Representational State Transfer) has become a buzzword to describe almost any application that uses XML over HTTP as a Web Service, but REST is more than XML over HTTP, and it’s more than another Web Service mechanism like SOAP and XML-RPC; REST is an architectural pattern that can be applied to Web applications.
While REST is generally applied to Web Services, the principles that embody REST can be applied to all Web applications, providing better information design, cleaner URLs, and a more “semantic web†approach.
This talk will explain the principles and theory behind REST–starting with its basic foundation, HTTP—offer a detailed approach to design a RESTful application, and examine several so-called RESTful Web Services and explain why they may or may not follow REST principles.
Enjoy the slides:
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Tags: conferences, phpworks, phpworks2007, rest, talks, works07
Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:06 UTC
So, I’m here gearing up for php|works at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near the Atlanta airport. I’m giving a 6-hour Zend PHP 5 Certification Crash Course tomorrow. Following that, I’ll play host to some speakers and conference attendees (as a sort of unofficial social coordinator—as if I have those skills) for after-hours dinner and drinks. If you’re interested in hanging out after-hours this week, look me up at the conference and let me know.
Also, I’ll be logged into #phpc on Freenode IRC this week along with many other conference attendees. The channel will serve as a sort of (unofficial) conference chatter channel to find conference goers, make plans, and make general mischief, heckling the speakers behind their backs. 
I assume there’s still time to register if you’re interested in attending.
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Tags: conferences, php, phpc, phpcommunity, phpworks, phpworks2007, works07, zce
Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:24 UTC
Atlanta PHP is proud to welcome php|works to Atlanta, GA on September 12-14!
php|architect invites you to Harness the Power of PHP, at this year’s php|works conference.
This year’s edition of php|works will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Braves and of the Atlanta PHP user group, on September 13th and 14th, with an extra tutorial day on September 12th.
The conference once again promises to be an excellent event for PHP developers of all levels, with talks from top PHP experts such as Derick Rethans, Chris Shiflett, Andrei Zmievski, Sara Golemon, and many more (and plenty of new faces, as well).
Sign up today before the conference sells out!
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Tags: atlanta, atlantaphp, conferences, php, phpworks, phpworks2007, works07
Fri, 24 Aug 2007 0:14 UTC
I just wanted to take a moment to promote the PHP Unconference to be hosted this year by Zend during the Zend/PHP Conference & Expo in Burlingame, CA. The Chairperson for the PHP Unconference ‘07 is none other than the PHP community’s very own Patrick Reilly. He’ll be in charge of making sure things run smoothly and that the open community aspect of the unconference is maintained.
Patrick writes this on the Zend Conference wiki page for the PHP Unconference:
When was the last time an event challenged your assumptions, and made you think?
The PHP Unconference is a way to bring people who have a shared interest in PHP together. It could be just to explore interest in a common theme or it could be to do work together to accomplish a goal.
The PHP Unconference is being hosted by Zend Technologies Ltd. as a community space that it is sponsoring and helping create.
In addition to running the unconference, Patrick has created a #zendcon IRC channel for all attendees of the Zend/PHP Conference & Expo. This channel will serve as an excellent community gathering place during the conference to chat about presentations, ideas, and where to get drinks. It’s located on the Freenode network, so stop by and say “hi.”
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Tags: conferences, php, zendcon, zendcon07, ZendConference, zendconference2007
Wed, 22 Aug 2007 3:02 UTC
Last year, a substantial number of regulars of #phpc attended the Zend/PHP Conference and Expo, so we decided to make #phpc t-shirts for everyone. This year, that number of attendees from #phpc has dramatically risen, and, again, we’ll be creating special t-shirts, this time using the original PHPCommunity.org logo created by Peter Jovanovic (with contributions from Richard Davey).
If you’ll be attending the Zend/PHP Conference and Expo, and you’d like to show your support for PHPCommunity.org, then use this handy form to buy a shirt. Ligaya Turmelle will be in charge of handing out the shirts at the conference. If you can’t make it to the conference, and you’d still like a shirt, I’m sure Lig can work out something for you (like shipping). Just ask her on the IRC channel.
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Tags: conferences, php, phpc, phpcommunity, zendcon, ZendConference
Mon, 4 Jun 2007 14:24 UTC
I’ve been neglecting for far too long to post these slides, and I’ve been reminded several times by conference attendees that I need to post them. Thank you for the reminders, and I apologize that it has taken me this long to post these. Links to the slides are below…
I once again found myself in Germany—Ludwigsburg, specifically—for the International PHP Conference, Spring Edition. This location was much better than the hotel/conference location in Frankfurt because it was right in the town of Ludwigsburg. This made it easy to walk around, sight-see, and find things to do outside of the conference.
This time around, I gave two talks: Designing RESTful Web Applications and Give Your Site A Boost With memcached. Overall, I was very proud of these talks, especially the one on REST. The REST talk has been growing and changing over the last few times I’ve given it, and, now, I think it’s maturing into an excellent discussion of REST theory coupled with practical tips on designing a RESTful application. Perhaps I’ll spend some more time talking about REST on this blog in the coming weeks and months.
For now, enjoy the slides:
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Tags: conferences, ipcse07, ipcse2007, memcache, memcached, php, php-conference, rest, talks
Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:58 UTC
So, I popped into #apache on Freenode IRC today to ask a question. That’s when I noticed the news in their topic that ApacheCon US will take place this year in Atlanta, GA from November 12-16 at the Westin Peachtree. This is good news for me (since I won’t need to get a plane ticket) and Atlanta PHP!
I proceeded to ask Rich Bowen a few questions about the conference and what Atlanta PHP can do to help promote and take part in it. ApacheCon usually has a PHP track (ApacheCon EU does not have a PHP track this year), and Rich said he expects this conference to have the full complement of tracks. It’s my hope that Atlanta PHP can somehow be a part of this.
For now, there are no more details, and the CFP hasn’t been announced, but the dates (Nov 12-16) and location (Westin Peachtree) are “set in stone.”
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Tags: apache, apachecon, atlanta, atlantaphp, conferences, php
Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:09 UTC
This post is long overdue, but I was finally able to sit down and type out my thoughts about the Zend/PHP Conference and Expo and the International PHP Conference. I had the privilege of being invited to speak at both of these conferences, and I accepted both invitations, which, in retrospect, may not have been a great idea since they were back-to-back in different parts of the world; I felt like I knew the NSA on a first-name basis. Looking back, though, I enjoyed each trip because I was able to meet new people, develop new friendships, and spend time with old friends.
Zend/PHP Conference Wrap-up
The Zend Conference started out great, ushering in a new era of the community-made t-shirt, and the week was awesome up until the moment immediately following my presentation. The week started with a visit to a couple of wineries for tastings, courtesy of Andrei (our chauffeur). We also had some great dinners, and I was able to catch up with a few friends and meet some people I have only spoken with via e-mail. The day of tutorials was excellent; I sat in on Rob Richards’s “Advanced XML and Web Services” and Marcus’s and Sara’s “Extending PHP” tutorials. Both were very informative, though I would’ve liked to have seen more practical examples of Web Services, and I wish my attempt to connect to Sara’s ad hoc network hadn’t hosed my wifi connection (it took a full day to connect to any other wifi network and pick up an IP address). It is important to mention, though, that the ZendCon wifi was outstanding (compared to other conferences).
Then, the disaster came that ruined my enjoyment of the entire week.
On Tuesday afternoon, immediately following Chris Anderson’s keynote presentation, I gave my “XML & Web Services with PHP” presentation. While setting things up for the presentation, I removed my laptop and power cables from my bag, and then placed my bag on the ground—I thought it was at my feet. After my presentation, however, my bag was missing, along with my camera, iPod, spare laptop battery, folders of work and writing notes, and more. Luckily, I had my laptop, but I was nevertheless livid. After a thorough search of the area, checking with hotel and conference staff, and posting a “lost bag” notice, I still hadn’t found it. And it never turned up during the entire week. It was all I could think about. I couldn’t focus on any of the presentations, and I wrote it off as having been stolen, which made me even more angry that someone would steal my bag right out from under me and that this bastard was a member of the PHP community.
On the Saturday following the conference, Chris Anderson—yes the keynote presenter and editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine—contacted me saying that he was in possession of my bag. From what I can gather, it seems that when they were closing the walls of the main conference room to divide it into the three session rooms, they closed my bag on the other side of the wall from the room in which I gave my presentation. Since the bag was near the stage of the middle room, someone assumed it belonged to Chris Anderson who had just given his keynote presentation from that stage. What happened next is left to interpretation. Chris told me that the “gift bag they handed [him] at the Zend conf registration” appeared to be the bag I had lost. There are two things that could have happened: 1) someone turned in the bag, claiming it was Chris Anderson’s, and he assumed it was his “gift bag” when they returned it to him, or 2) the conference organizers had Nike bags similar to mine to give to the keynote presenters, and when they found my bag, they assumed it was one of their gift bags, so they took it back to the registration tables and gave it to Chris. In either case, he somehow ended up with my bag as his keynote gift.
At any rate, Chris quickly returned my bag, and my faith in humanity and the PHP community was restored. Still, the conference was a bit ruined for me, but that doesn’t say anything about the topics, speakers, or Zend. The last night of the conference was great, though, complete with an IBM pirate-themed party and Microsoft-sponsored drinks and karaoke. There are pictures floating around on Flickr.
International PHP Conference Wrap-up
The last time I spoke at the International PHP Conference was during the Spring Edition 2005 in Amsterdam. The location in Amsterdam was ideal. It was right next to a train station, and a tram stop was only a couple of blocks away, giving conference goers easy access to the entire city. The conference location in Frankfurt, while undoubtedly cheaper than Amsterdam (you can’t beat €87 a night!), was farther out from the city with no nearby train stations (the closest was several kilometers away). While I was able to explore Amsterdam everyday during my stay, I managed to leave the Frankfurt hotel only one night.
My complaints, however, deal primarily with the location. The conference, on the other hand, was excellent, as usual. The organizers, S&S, always put on a polished and well-presented conference, complete with excellent conference materials, right down to the programs, badges, and hoodies given to speakers. The European atmosphere feels familiar with noticeable differences—chances are, if an attendee has a Mac, they’re from the US, while the Europeans tend to have IBM hardware. Also, what is the German obsession with sparkling water and small glasses? Perhaps it’s my gluttonous Americanism, but I love to drink lots of water (without bubbles). Nevertheless, it’s not hard to get used to, and, since I’ve returned, I’ve found myself craving a glass of sparkling mineral water on occasion.
While at the IPC and in-between trying to fulfill work commitments, I managed to make it to Aaron Wormus’s workshop on “Mastering enterprise-level PHP tools PEAR, PhpDocumentor and testing,” Marcus’s “The Need for Speed, ERM Testing,” and Sara’s “Navigating Streams.” Two great highlights of the conference were the PHP-Lounge and Code Camp (led by Marcus and Sara). I didn’t make it to the Code Camp, but I’ve heard good things about it, and the PHP-Lounge was a great place to speak with other developers, share ideas, and have fun—free beer always helps, too. In addition, I gave talks on “Designing & Implementing RESTful Web Services” and “Filtering Tainted Data: PECL Input Filter vs. Zend_InputFilter.” Following the conference, there was some discussion around the PHP blogosphere about comments I made during my filtering presentation; a (near) future blog post will continue that discussion and provide some answers and clarification.
On the last night of the conference, a small group of us did manage to escape the confines of the hotel. We took a taxi to a local restaurant, where I had a traditional German dish and a Czech beer. After dinner, we walked several blocks until we found train tracks, and then we followed them for a kilometer or so until we came to the station. We then made it into the heart of Frankfurt, where we were able to do a little site-seeing before sampling a few more beers and returning to the hotel. I’ve posted pictures to my Flickr account.
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Tags: conferences, InternationalPHPConference, InternationalPHPConference2006, IPC, ipc06, ipc2006, php, zend, ZendConference, zendconference2006
