In case you are living under a rock, the latest version of PHP released last week. PHP developers around the world began rebuilding their development containers with it so they can run their tests. Now it’s your turn. If you haven’t already installed it, you can download it here http://php.net/downloads.php Grab it, get it running in your development environment, and run those unit tests. If all goes well, you can begin planning your staged deployment to production.

If you need a quick start guide to get you going, our good friend Mr Colin O’Dell has just the thing for you “Installing PHP 7.1”. It’ll get you up and going quickly on PHP 7.1.

What’s the big deal about PHP 7.1? I am so glad you asked. Here are the major new features released in PHP 7.1.

* Nullable types
* Void return type
* Iterable pseudo-type
* Class constant visiblity modifiers
* Square bracket syntax for list() and the ability to specify keys in list()
* Catching multiple exceptions types

Now if you want a quick intro to several of these new features, check out our “RFCs of the Future” playlist on YouTube. In it, I talk about 4 of the new features.

Oh and while you are watching things download & compile, why not take the time to give a shoutout to all the core contributors, and a special thank you to Davey Shafik and Joe Watkins, the PHP 7.1 release managers.

Cheers!
=C=

It took me quite some time to settle on my first blog post in this series and I found myself thinking about the most requested functionality in my career – The good ‘ol Custom CMS – typically geared towards clients that want a straight forward, secure solution that can be expanded upon in a modular format and that’s their IP.

This will be our starting point. A blank slate to build something epic with clean code and even cleaner design. And in the spirit of building from scratch, I will refrain from using classes or a framework. The main reasoning behind this is to truly get everyone acquainted with and excited about PHP development.

Join me as I transform rudimentary code into something extraordinary that can be morphed into just about any Content, PHP, and MySQL driven project. So without further ado, let’s jump into it!

The bare necessities

If you’re just getting started with development, there’s a nifty bite sized server called UniformServer that will be your best friend throughout your coding career. PHPMyAdmin (an awesome visual db management tool) comes built in so if you’re looking for a work right out of the box solution, this is it.

Alternatively, you can opt for XAMPP or use an alternative server of your choice.

Now here’s where the exciting stuff begins, mapping things out.

I don’t see this done/encouraged often enough. Feel free to grab a piece of paper to logically map out your steps or produce a rough draft of where you’d like this project to go.

In this tutorial, I would like to achieve the following:

DB, DB, Set up your DB.

This requires a bit of planning but let’s start of with the basic structure we need to see this through.

We are going to need a user table and a content table and are a few ways to tackle this.

If you’re using the PHPMyAdmin tool you can create your database, add user permissions (Click on Permissions after creating your database), and create a table with ease.



If you’re like me and prefer to look at good ‘ol SQL then writing an SQL statement is the preferred approach.

CREATE TABLE <code>mydbname</code>.<code>content</code> ( <code>ID</code> INT(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT , <code>title</code> VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL , <code>content</code> LONGTEXT NOT NULL , <code>author</code> VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL , PRIMARY KEY (<code>ID</code>)) ENGINE = MyISAM COMMENT = 'content table';

Understanding the SQL statement

In a nutshell we are creating a table with important fields. Namely:

####

ID | Title | Content | Author

#######

The ID field is our unique identifier.Now we can move on to the file structure.

Everything has a place in the file structure game

You can use a structure that speaks to your coding style / memory.

I tend to use the following:



Choose a name for your CMS, which should be placed at the webroot of your localhost/server.

Replicate the folder structure as per the above example.

Next, we’re going to create a basic connection file.

You can create a conn.php file in your root/includes folder.

The connection file will provide crucial information to connect to the database.

Type the following into your conn.php file, remember to include your own database credentials.

<?php

$letsconnect = new mysqli("localhost","dbuser","dbpass","dbname");

?>

Let’s go to the homepage (index.php)

Create a file called index.php at the root of your CMS folder.

I will be adding comments in my code to help you understand what each line does.

Comments are a useful tool for developers to add important notes private to their code.

We need to pull information from the database so it’s imperative that we include our connection file.

<?php

include('includes/conn.php');

if ($letsconnect -> connect_errno) { echo "Error " . $letsconnect -> connect_error;

}else{

$getmydata=$letsconnect -> query("SELECT * FROM content");

foreach($getmydata as $mydata){	echo "Title: ";	echo $mydata['title'];	echo "<br/>";	echo "Content: ";	echo $mydata['content'];	echo "<br/>";	echo "Author: ";	echo $mydata['author'];	echo "<br/>";	echo "<br/>";

}

}

$letsconnect -> close();

?>

Let’s get a (very) basic backend up and running

Create a file called index.php in your backend folder.

We need to create a basic form to capture our data.

Let’s code some HTML!

<html>

<head><title>Backend - Capture Content</title></head>

<body>

<form action="<?php $_SERVER[‘PHP_SELF’];?>" method="post">

<input type="text" name="title" placeholder="Content Title here" required/>

<textarea name="content">Content Here</textarea>

<input type="text" name="author" placeholder="Author" required/>

<input type="submit" value="Save My Data" name="savedata"/>

</form>

</body>

</html>

Next, we need to process the form data.

Type the following just above the

<form> 

tag.

<?php

if(isset($_POST['savedata'])){

include('../includes/conn.php');

if ($letsconnect->connect_error) {

die("Your Connection failed: " . $letsconnect->connect_error);

}else{

$sql = "INSERT INTO content(title,content,author)VALUES ('".$_POST["title"]."', '".$_POST["content"]."', '".$_POST["author"]."')";

if (mysqli_query($letsconnect, $sql)) {

echo "Your data was saved successfully!";

} else { echo "Error: " . $sql . "" . mysqli_error($letsconnect);

} $letsconnect->close();

}

}

?>

Note, this is a basic MySQL query to insert data. However, before using this in production it's important to add proper escaping and security to prevent SQL injections. This will be covered in the next article.

Congrats you made it to the end of tutorial 1!

Test out your creation, modify your content, and play around.

Go to your sitename/index.php to see your frontend after capturing data via sitename/backend/index.php

Next Up:

codewithme Now With Security, Functionality, and Aesthetics in mind.

Conclusion

Coding doesn’t have to be daunting and it’s my aim to divide a complex system into bitesized tutorials so you can truly use the knowledge you’ve acquired in your own projects.

Halloween is filled with ghouls, ghosts, zombies and lots of other spookiness, but the scariest thing ever is FOMO. It’s conference season and several have their call for papers out (including us at Nomad PHP :D). This is the perfect time for you to share your knowledge with the community. Whether it’s your first time or 100th time - it can be scary to put yourself out there and do a talk, but worse than that is not taking the chance and submitting your talk and doing the presentation. Plus, many of these events host lightning talks (short 5-15 minute talks) - meaning you can test out your talk risk free ;)

So here is your chance - submit for one or submit for all of them. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Fosdem 2019

First we have Fosdem 2019 which will take place on February 2 & 3 in Brussels,Belgium. Some facts about this call for papers:
*Deadline: November 3, 2018
* Presentations are expected to be 50 minutes long (including audience questions) and should cater to a varied technical audience. For examples check out youtube.
*Submit your proposals via Pentabarf: https://fosdem.org/submit.
* The conference covers reasonable travel expenses agreed upon in advance as well as arranges accommodations

Midwest PHP 2019

Next up we have Midwest PHP which will take place on March 8 & 9 in Bloomington, Minnesota.
*Deadline: November 15, 2018
* There is a speaker package included (conference pass, 2 hotel nights, airfare/travel - $500 max, lunch, etc.)
* Make sure the talk title and abstract define the exact topic and what you hope people will learn from it.
* Recommended to submit more than one talk because it can increase your chances of one of them being picked.
*Submit your talk here: [https://cfp.midwestphp.org/] (https://cfp.midwestphp.org/)

Longhorn PHP

Next we have Longhorn PHP which will take place on May 2 (tutorial day) then MAy 3 &4 (conference) in Austin, Texas.
*Deadline: December 15, 2018
* For all speakers, you'll get a full conference pass (tutorial day and main conference days), including access to lunch, after-parties, and any other activities included in the conference.
* For speakers remote to the Austin area, we'll provide 3 nights at the speaker hotel (4 nights if presenting a talk and a tutorial) near the conference venue.
* For speakers outside Texas, we'll book you an Economy or equivalent round-trip airfare on a flight into Austin we'd be comfortable taking ourselves (we're conference speakers too!). Plus, we'll arrange transportation between the Austin airport and the speaker hotel.
* Three different session lengths: 3 hour tutorials, 60 minute talks, and 30 minute talks.
* It doesn't have to just be a PHP related talk. For more information on talks click here.
*Submit your talk here: https://cfp.longhornphp.com/.

Laravel Live India 2019

Then we have LaravelLive India 2019 in Mumbai, India.
*Deadline: December 31, 2018
* Talk length is 30 minutes - Q&A up to the presenters discretion but would be included in the 30 minute time limit.
* Talks will be recorded and distributed for free as well as the presentation slides.
* Looking for a range of talks from PHP (security, testing and frameworks), web development, HTML5, JavaScript, mobile development, emerging technologies and non-technical proposals that will appeal to developers.
*Talk guidelines: Objective with clear expectation for audience, short and to the point description, mention of employer is only allowed at the beginning of the content and background image/wallpaper shouldn’t include company name/logos.
*Submit your talk here: [https://www.papercall.io/laravellive-india] (https://www.papercall.io/laravellive-india)

Nomad PHP

(you know you want to)

Last but not least - this is an ongoing call for papers. This is perfect if you want to present from the comfort of your office, home or really wherever you are. It’s via RingCentral meetings and will be live and recorded. This is for none other than Nomad PHP.
*Deadline: Anytime :D
* Talk length: 45 - 60 minutes.
* Talks should be unique to Nomad PHP and not available in video format online.
* Talk should not be recorded or made available elsewhere online for at least 3 months following your talk.
* The talk will be featured on our page and promoted via social media.
* Speakers will receive a financial stipend.
* Upon being selected we will reach out with further details.
*Submit here: [https://www.papercall.io/nomadphp] (https://www.papercall.io/nomadphp)
Now that you have some information - it’s the perfect time to take it all in and get started on your talk proposals :)! Looking forward to seeing all the amazing talks that will be coming out!!!

Conferences are always looking for speakers - it can be hard to keep track of them all and the requirements they have. I wanted to put together this quick guide to make it easy for you to apply. Make sure to apply because as Wayne Gretzky said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”!!!

phpDay 2019

First we have phpDay 2019 which will take place on May 10 & 11 at Hotel San Marco in Verona, Italy. Some facts about this call for papers:
*Submission deadline: February 4, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfp.phpday.it/
* For more info on the conference: https://2019.phpday.it/
* Twitter: (@phpday)
* Speaker package includes: Full conference pass (jsDay + phpDay), speaker dinner the first night, lunch, reception and activities included in regular conference.
* For speakers remote to the Area: A refund of up to €200 for travel costs (or €500 from US or extra-EU), 2 complimentary hotel nights (+1 hotel night for speakers presenting multiple talks or US/extra-EU) and Taxi fare from/to the airport.
*In Submission: make sure your talk title and abstract define the exact topic you want to talk about and what you hope people will learn from the session.
*Talk Ideas: APIs (REST, SOAP, etc.), Architectures, Continuous Delivery, Databases, Development, Devops, Frameworks, Internals, PHP 7.x / PHP 8, Security, Testing and UI/UX.

ScotlandPHP

Next we have ScotlandPHP which will take place on November 8 & 9 at Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.
*Submission deadline: April 22, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfs.scotlandphp.co.uk/
* For more info on the conference: https://conference.scotlandphp.co.uk/
* Twitter: (@scotlandphp)
* Speaker package: Full conference pass, lunch, receptions and activities included in regular conference.
* For speakers remote to the Area: Complimentary airfare/travel, 2 complimentary hotel nights and we'll pick you up and drop you off to/from the airport so you don't have to worry about it.
* Speakers will be provided with a projector, a wireless lapel microphone and a screen for their presentation (size depends on the room). Speakers should bring any equipment they need to connect to projectors (VGA). It is also suggested that you reduce your dependency on the in-house internet connection as possible. We will however provide HDMI and Mini Display Port connections for all speakers on request. If you need something different or your selected talk needs audio equipment just let us know. We'll work it out.
* Looking for talks and workshops (November 8th).
*Talk Ideas: Virtualization and environments, Javascript, Alternate PHP run-times, PHP internals, Development principles, Security, Mobile-first design, Testing (unit, functional, etc.), Version control, User Experience/Usability, Building APIs (REST, SOAP, whatever), Continuous Integration, Framework-related topics, and Professional development.

Global diversity CFP day

In 2019 there will be numerous workshops hosted around the globe encouraging and advising newbie speakers to put together your very first talk proposal and share your own individual perspective on any subject of interest to people in tech.
* Twitter: (@gdcfpday)
*Save the Date: March 2, 2019
*Register here: https://www.globaldiversitycfpday.com/?utm_source=scotphp

CoderCruise

Then there is CoderCruise which will take place on August 19-23. It's a cruise that takes off from Port Canaveral, Florida and goes to the Bahamas.
* Twitter: (@codercruise)
*Submission deadline: March 3, 2019
*Submit via: https://www.papercall.io/codercruise-2019
* For more info on the conference: https://www.codercruise.com/
* This is a polyglot conference so looking for speakers on a wide variety of languages (PHP, JavaScript, Java, Python, etc.) and on various tech topics.

PHP Conference Asia 2019

There is also PHP Conference Asia 2019, which will take place on June 24-25 at Microsot Singapore.
*Submission deadline: March 8, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfp.phpconf.asia/
* For more info on the conference: https://2019.phpconf.asia/
* Twitter: (@PHPConfAsia)
* Speaker package includes: Speaker package: Full conference pass, lunch, receptions and activities included in regular conference. We'll pick you up and drop you off to/from the airport so you don't have to worry about it. Speakers' dinner on the first evening of the conference (24th June 2019). Transport to and from the conference venue will be included
* For speakers remote to the Area: 2 complimentary hotel nights and
we can consider providing grants to partially cover the air-fare for speakers who might have financial difficulties. This is on a case-by-case basis.
* Speakers will be provided with a projector, a wireless hand-held microphone and a screen for their presentation. Speakers should prepare their slides in 4x3 aspect ratio. Speakers should bring any equipment they need to connect to projectors (HDMI). It is also suggested that you reduce your dependency on the in-house internet connection as possible.
*In Submission: Make sure your talk title and abstract define the exact topic you want to talk about and what you hope people will learn from the session.
*Talk Ideas: Virtualization and environments, Javascript, Alternate PHP run-times, PHP internals, Development principles, Security, Mobile-first design, Testing (unit, functional, etc.), Version control, User Experience/Usability, Building APIs (REST, SOAP, whatever), Continuous Integration, Framework-related topics, and Professional development.

Cascadia PHP

Another conference to apply to is Cascadia PHP, which will take place on September 19-21 at University Place Hotel & Conference Center in Portland, Oregon.
*Submission deadline: April 15, 2019
*Submit via: https://cfp.cascadiaphp.com/
* For more info on the conference: https://www.cascadiaphp.com/venue
* Twitter: (@CascadiaPHP)
* Speaker package includes: Speaker package: Full conference pass, lunch, receptions and activities included in regular conference. For speakers remote to the Area: Complimentary airfare/travel, 2 complimentary hotel nights and we'll pick you up and drop you off to/from the airport so you don't have to worry about it.
Speakers will be provided with a projector, a wireless lapel microphone and a screen for their presentation (size depends on the room). Speakers should bring any equipment they need to connect to projectors (VGA). It is also suggested that you reduce your dependency on the in-house internet connection as possible.
*In Submission: make sure your talk title and abstract define the exact topic you want to talk about and what you hope people will learn from the session.
*Talk Ideas: PHP internals, Version control, Framework-related topics, Building APIs (REST, SOAP, whatever), Mobile-first design, Professional development, Testing (unit, functional, etc.), Alternate PHP run-times, Development principles, Continuous Integration, Getting involved in the PHP community, User Experience/Usability, Technology at large, Security, Connecting to Different APIs, Development Tools, Virtualization and environments, Javascript, Modern hosting practices, Language Features, Databases, Refactoring legacy applications, Running/contributing to open source projects, AI and AR, and User Groups.

Nomad PHP

Last but not least - this is an ongoing call for papers. This is perfect if you want to present from the comfort of your office, home or really wherever you are. It’s via RingCentral meetings and will be live and recorded. This is for none other than Nomad PHP.
* Twitter: (@nomadphp)
* Deadline: Anytime :D
* Talk length: 45 - 60 minutes.
* Talks should be unique to Nomad PHP and not available in video format online.
* Talk should not be recorded or made available elsewhere online for at least 3 months following your talk.
* The talk will be featured on our page and promoted via social media.
* Speakers will receive a financial stipend.
* Upon being selected we will reach out with further details.
*Talk ideas: AI & Machine Learning, APIs, Containerization, Databases, DevOps, Documentation, Frameworks, Performance, Security, Serverless, Testing, Tools, Upgrading/ Modernization, and more.
*Submit here: https://www.papercall.io/nomadphp
Now that you have some information - make sure to apply to all of these options! Can't wait to see all of your awesome talks you present :D!

In modern software architecture, developers are constantly exploring new paradigms to enhance the performance, scalability, and maintainability of their applications. One such architectural pattern gaining popularity is Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS). CQRS separates the responsibility of handling read and write operations, offering numerous benefits in complex systems. In this article, we'll delve into CQRS and explore its implementation in PHP.

What is CQRS?

CQRS, coined by Greg Young, is an architectural pattern that segregates the responsibility for handling read and write operations in a system. In traditional CRUD-based architectures, the same model is often used for both reading and writing data. However, CQRS advocates for a clear distinction between commands (write operations that modify state) and queries (read operations that retrieve data).

Key Concepts of CQRS:
   

. Command: Commands represent actions that modify the state of the system. They encapsulate the intent to perform an operation, such as creating, updating, or deleting data.
   
. Query: Queries retrieve data from the system without modifying its state. They are read-only operations used to fetch information for presentation or analysis.
   
. Command Handler: Responsible for processing commands by executing the necessary business logic and updating the system's state accordingly.
   
. Query Handler: Handles queries by retrieving data from the appropriate data source and returning the results to the caller.
   
. Separate Models: CQRS often involves maintaining separate models for commands and queries. This allows each model to be optimized for its specific use case, leading to improved performance and scalability.

Implementing CQRS in PHP:

Implementing CQRS in PHP involves structuring your application to separate command and query responsibilities effectively. Here's a high-level overview of how to implement CQRS in PHP:

1. Define Commands and Queries:

Start by defining the commands and queries your application will support. Commands should encapsulate actions that modify state, while queries should retrieve data.

class CreateProductCommand {
 public $name;
 public $price;
}

class GetProductQuery {
 public $productId;
}

2. Create Command and Query Handlers:

Next, implement handlers for processing commands and queries. Command handlers execute the necessary business logic to fulfill the command, while query handlers retrieve data based on the query criteria.

class CreateProductCommandHandler {
 public function handle(CreateProductCommand $command) {
 }
}

class GetProductQueryHandler {
 public function handle(GetProductQuery $query) {
 }
}

3. Use Separate Models:

Maintain separate models for commands and queries to optimize each for its specific purpose. This separation allows you to design models tailored to the needs of write and read operations.

class Product {
 public $name;
 public $price;
}

class ProductView {
 public $name;
 public $price;
}

4. Wiring Everything Together:

Finally, wire up your command and query handlers to the appropriate endpoints or controllers in your application. Dispatch commands to their respective handlers and invoke query handlers to retrieve data.

$command = new CreateProductCommand();
$command->name = "Example Product";
$command->price = 99.99;

$handler = new CreateProductCommandHandler();
$handler->handle($command);

$query = new GetProductQuery();
$query->productId = 123;

$handler = new GetProductQueryHandler();
$product = $handler->handle($query);

Benefits of CQRS in PHP:

-Improved Scalability: Separating read and write operations allows you to scale each independently based on demand.

-Enhanced Performance: Optimizing models and handlers for specific tasks can lead to improved performance and responsiveness.

-Simplified Maintenance: Clear separation of concerns makes the codebase easier to understand, maintain, and extend over time.

-Flexibility: CQRS enables flexibility in choosing the most suitable data storage and retrieval mechanisms for different use cases.

Conclusion:

CQRS is a powerful architectural pattern that offers numerous advantages for building complex and scalable PHP applications. By segregating command and query responsibilities, developers can achieve better performance, scalability, and maintainability in their systems. While implementing CQRS in PHP requires careful planning and design, the benefits it provides make it a compelling choice for projects requiring high performance and flexibility.