PHP & Web Development Blogs

Technology is constantly changing the way we interact, research, and react. One such way artificial intelligence is impacting our daily lives, and we may not even realize it is in weather forecasting.

The forecast we usually have been receiving in our phones and in older times primarily in newspapers, was based on data collected via satellites, radar system and weather balloons. In recent times there has been the addition of IoT based sensors as well. However, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) finding its way in numerous areas, AI has taken a role in improving the accuracy of weather as well.

The Dataset expansion

A significantly enormous set of data is available - from the weather satellites in space, to the private and government owned weather stations which are gaining real-time data. IBM for instance has more the 0.25 million weather stations that help IBM collect real-time data. Additionally, as we are in the age of Internet of Things (IOT), each small device to big device- cellphones, solar panels and vehicles everything has become or is yet to become yet another data source. Companies like GE have installed IOT street lights, which help in monitoring air quality and humidity. These are some of the few sources which help us in collecting the vast amount of data necessary for building on the AI technology, in future these sources and the amount of available data would grow exponentially.

Google and Weather forecast

Using the AI technology Google is able to develop a weather forecast tool, it has been trained to predict rainfalls accurately as much as six hours before. The underlying technology on which this prediction is build upon is U-Net convolutional neural network which is originally used in biomedical research. It works by taking satellite images as input and uses AI technology to transform these images into high resolution images. The only off-set is this is not real-time prediction and the delay due to complex calculations results in using six-hour old data and hence can only predict six-hours before.

IBM and its efforts in weather prediction

The quest for IBM to venture into weather forecasting began with IBM acquiring The Weather Company. IBM plans on using the large amount of weather data available coupled with IBM Watson and the cloud platform to enhance weather forecasting. In 2019 IBM developed Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System (GRAF) in order to forecast weather conditions 12 hours prior to a greater degree of accuracy. The radius encompassed by the GRAF is also more narrowed down up to 3 kilometers as opposed to generally being 10-15 kilometers. Another of its marvel is that it gives accurate predictions down to each hour and not just daily.

Artificial Intelligence and Panasonic

Panasonic is the company behind TAMDAR, the weather sensor installed on commercial airplanes. With this advantage of extensive amount of data from in-flight sensors as well as publicly available data Panasonic developed Global 4D Weather. Proving to their claim of being the most advanced global forecasting platform globally they were able to timely predict Hurricane Irma in its early days.

Uses of Weather Forecasting

Sales

Everyday life decisions are affected by weather, it makes us choose in the way we travel, things we eat and things we buy to wear. The rise in temperature may increase sales of chilled drinks, if the company is fully aware of the forecast it would be able to manage productions as per demand. AI can help brands in maximizing sales based on weather forecasts and in minimizing waste.

Natural Disasters

The Panasonic Global 4D weather predicting Hurricane Irma is just another example where timely prediction can save millions of lives in face of situations like floods and Hurricanes. Companies like IBM combine weather forecasting data with utilities distribution network, which enables them to narrow down areas with likely outages. This enables utilities to place their workforce timely so the repair process catering to damage repairs post disasters is shortened. This in turn brings huge benefits to the overall economy.

Agriculture

The weather and agriculture have the most obvious correlation, each process in farming from sowing to reaping all depends on the weather. As farmers cultivate on huge farming lands, accurate information about each part of the land can help farmers in improving their crops and yield by manifolds. Weather conditions can lead to almost 90 percent of crop losses, 25 percent of these losses can be avoided using accurate AI prediction models to forecast weather and in turn improve the yield.

Transportation

Sea travel has always been eventful, timely prediction of storms by using machine learning techniques and hyper-local data allows companies to plan shipments accordingly and avoid severe weather conditions that usually result in delays. Tools like IBM’s Operations Dashboard for Ground Transportation equips in enhancing productivity based on weather predictions.

Another of the implementation of AI in transportation industry corelating to weather is fuel consumption. For instance, using weather prediction models to reduce airplane fuel consumption during its ascent.

To conclude Artificial Intelligence has a key role to play in weather forecasting, weather direct or indirectly impacts each sector in the economy. As the amount of information available to improve predictions increases exponentially it gives a chance to AI to improve accuracy even further. As we continue narrowing down weather conditions precise to time and location the benefits of such advancements across all industries are innumerable.

A brief (by Mike's standards) note

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. - John F. Kennedy

I wanted to take a brief moment to express my gratitude this holiday season. First and foremost, a huge thank you to the beautiful Tanja Hoefler who has put in countless hours behind the scenes of Nomad PHP, ranging from finding the best articles and tweeting them out, to tracking down great speakers, to countless hours of video editing (including fixing all my mistakes from the live broadcast).

Thank you to our Founders

I also need to thank Cal and Kathy Evans, an amazing husband and wife team who have done so much for the community over many, many years - including founding and being an invaluable source as Tanja and I took over Nomad PHP. They are truly an inspiration for Tanja and myself, and I hope some day we can do as much for the community as they have.

Thank you to our Speakers

And I need to express my gratitude to our amazing speakers who spend countless hours preparing their presentations, and even stay up all night practicing or get up at 5am to be ready to share their knowledge with the community.

Thank you to our Advisors

Another special shout out goes to Eric Poe, Eric Hogue, and Andrew Caya who have all been tremendous advocates of Nomad PHP, as well as the foundation of our meetings. Their feedback, along with our amazing Advisory Board has helped shake the direction of Nomad PHP, and the many great things we hope to do in the future.

Thank you to our Sponsors

Which brings me to our sponsors. As we try to grow and expand Nomad PHP, as well as bring in more resources and make it more valuable (and affordable), we have done so at a fairly significant loss. That's ok, as that was the plan for 2018, but companies likeRingCentral,Twilio,Auth0, andOSMI have played a critical role in letting us move forward and keeping that loss manageable. Without them, I'm not sure we would be able to be offering the service we do, or have the plans we do for 2019!

*On a side note, if you're not familiar with OSMI, they're a GREAT non-profit who has done so much good in the tech space raising awareness about mental health, and educating employers - I highly recommend supporting this great non-profit organization.*

Thank you to our Family and Friends

Of course, I need to thank my family, my friends, and all those who have supported myself, Tanja, and Nomad PHP over the years.

Thank YOU

Least, but certainly not last - in fact perhaps most important of all - I want to thank the tremendous Nomad PHP community - over 3,000 members strong - that make Nomad PHP what it is. Without you, Nomad PHP wouldn't exist - it wouldn't need to. Andwithout you, and the greater PHP community, I wouldn't be here today, doing what I love to do.

For those that do not know my story, I grew up in medicine - becoming a first responder and pursuing a career as a lifeflight paramedic (helicopter ambulance) before realizing two things... ok three: I had a tremedous fear of heights, I hated needles, and I loved programming.

Leaving the nursing program left me unsure of what to do next, so I did what I loved - programming - where the number of mistakes I made I'm sure outnumbered the lines of good code. If it wasn't for the community being so patient, so encouraging, and helping me grow - I'm not sure what I would be doing today, but it certainly wouldn't involve PHP, Developer Relations, Nomad PHP, or the community.

So for that I want to say one final thank you - a thank you for giving me the gift to do what I love, and the opportunity to hopefully pay this forward, and give back to the community, helping others do the same.

Next year will be an amazing one for Nomad PHP, but I can't thank you all for how incredible and amazing these few short months in 2018 have been - because without you, there would be no 2019.

Have a very wonderful Thanksgiving,

Mike

***PS - want to support our 2019 initiatives and be recognized on Nomad PHP in the process? Become a Supporter.***

Introduction

MongoDB, a popular NoSQL database, provides flexibility and scalability for modern web applications. In this guide, we will explore how to use MongoDB with PHP, a widely used scripting language. We'll cover the necessary steps to establish a connection, perform CRUD operations, and leverage the power of MongoDB in your PHP projects.

Prerequisites

Before diving into MongoDB integration, ensure you have the following:
   
. MongoDB installed and running on your machine.
   
. PHP installed on your machine, preferably version 7 or above.
   
. Composer, a dependency management tool for PHP.

Step 1: Installing the MongoDB PHP Driver

The first step is to install the MongoDB PHP driver, which enables PHP to communicate with MongoDB. We can use Composer to handle the installation process efficiently. Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to your project directory. Then run the following command:

composer require mongodb/mongodb

This command installs the MongoDB PHP driver along with its dependencies. Composer will create a vendor directory containing the required files.

Step 2: Establishing a Connection

To connect to MongoDB from PHP, we need to create a new instance of the MongoDB client class. Open your code editor and create a new PHP file, for example, connect.php. Add the following code:

<?php

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use MongoDB\Client;

$client = new Client("mongodb://localhost:27017");

?>

In this code, we require the Composer-generated autoloader and import the Client class. We then create a new instance of the Client class, specifying the MongoDB server's connection URL. Adjust the URL if your MongoDB server is running on a different host or port.

Step 3: Performing CRUD Operations

Now that we have established a connection, let's explore how to perform basic CRUD operations using MongoDB with PHP.

Creating Documents

To insert a new document into a MongoDB collection, use the insertOne() method. Here's an example:

<?php
$collection = $client->test->users;

$newUser = [
 'name' => 'John',
 'email' => '[email protected]',
 'age' => 25
];

$insertResult = $collection->insertOne($newUser);
echo "Inserted document ID: " . $insertResult->getInsertedId();
?>

In this code, we select the users collection within the test database. We create a new document as an associative array and then use the insertOne() method to insert it into the collection. Finally, we retrieve and display the ID of the inserted document using the getInsertedId() method.

Reading Documents

To retrieve documents from a MongoDB collection, use the find() method. Here's an example:

<?php
$collection = $client->test->users;

$documents = $collection->find();

foreach ($documents as $document) {
 echo $document['name'] . ': ' . $document['email'] . "\n";
}
?>

In this code, we retrieve all the documents from the users collection. We iterate over the result using a foreach loop and access specific fields, such as the name and email, to display their values.

Updating Documents

To update documents in a MongoDB collection, use the updateOne() method. Here's an example:

<?php
$collection = $client->test->users;

$updateResult = $collection->updateOne(
 ['name' => 'John'],
 ['$set' => ['age' => 30]]
);

echo "Modified " . $updateResult->getModifiedCount() . " document(s).";
?>

In this code, we update the age field of the document with the name 'John' using the $set operator. The updateOne() method updates the first matching document. We then retrieve the number of modified documents using the getModifiedCount() method.

Deleting Documents

To remove documents from a MongoDB collection, use the deleteOne() method. Here's an example:

<?php
$collection = $client->test->users;

$deleteResult = $collection->deleteOne(['name' => 'John']);
echo "Deleted " . $deleteResult->getDeletedCount() . " document(s).";
?>

In this code, we delete the document with the name 'John'. The deleteOne() method removes the first matching document, and we retrieve the number of deleted documents using the getDeletedCount() method.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have learned the basics of using MongoDB with PHP. By establishing a connection, performing CRUD operations, and leveraging the power of MongoDB, you can build powerful and scalable web applications. Remember to refer to the MongoDB PHP documentation for additional features and advanced usage.

Today’s digital transformation has significantly empowered every company to produce accurate information at all touch points. Whether it’s a large-scale enterprise or a small private venture, every organization irrespective of all sizes needs proper web app development services to build a sophisticated database for storing and managing its data. Examples of web applications include customer relationship management (CRM) systems, project management tools, and e-commerce platforms. These custom software developers play a crucial role in tailoring web applications to meet specific business needs, ensuring seamless integration and optimal functionality.

A database is a set of a vast range of structured & unstructured data stored in a system and adequately managed through DBMS or Database Management System. The data stored in the database is highly sensitive, hence companies need to be careful while accessing any data or information.

When considering the development of web applications, partnering with a reputable web development firm is essential to ensure the seamless integration and efficient management of databases. A skilled web development firm possesses the expertise to optimize database systems, enhancing data organization, security, and retrieval processes for an enhanced user experience. In this article, we will delve into the top database solutions for web applications in 2024 and explore the advantages they bring to the forefront of modern software development.

Types of Databases For Web Applications

Depending on your business model, industry domain, and other factors, your business application system will have certain requirements. Different databases types are used for different enterprise requirements. However, the database is technically divided into two types: SQL & NoSQL.

SQL or Structured Query Language is a relational database that comes with a relational structure. This is used for managing structured data only. On the other hand, the NoSQL database doesn’t have any relational structure & they are used to store unstructured data types. For your convenience, we have shared a complete comparison of both databases below.

SQL Databases
NoSQL Databases
Mix of proprietary & open-source
Open source database
Comes with rational structure
No rational structure
Ideal for managing structured data
Best for storing unstructured & semi-structured data
Vertically scalable
Horizontally scalable
Examples: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, etc
Examples: MongoDB, Cassandra, Firebase, etc

Enterprises have deeply relied on SQL to manage all their databases in web apps, but as cloud, microservices & distributed applications become popular, there are NoSQL options also available. Before you choose the right database, you must consider a number of factors such as size, structure & scalability requirements. Apart from that, you need to consider some of the following questions also:
* What type of data structure do you need?
* What is the amount of data you want to store?
* What is your total budget?
* Does it allow for support contracts & software licenses?
* What is the requirement for your data security?
* What third-party tools do you want to add to your database?

Best Databases For Web Applications In 2024

Finding out the right database option for a web app development may impact the scalability and success of any project. With too many options available, it’s quite challenging to select which one is the best for you. 2024’s widely-popular databases include:

1. MySQL:

MySQL is one of the best open-source relational databases developed by Oracle Corporation in 1995. According to the Stack Overflow developer survey, this database was used by 46.8% as of 2022. The robustness, maturity, and stability of this database make it perfect for web applications. Moreover, MySQL database uses a structured language & written in C & C++.
Latest version: MySQL 8.0.33

Key features of MySQL database include:
* Easy to deploy & manage
* It supports Consistency, Atomicity, Isolation & Durability
* It’s an RDBMS or Relational Database Management System
* Provides fast-loading utilities with several memory caches to maintain servers
* Offers top-notch results without compromising any functionality
* Contains solid Data Security layers to offer complete security solutions

2. PostgreSQL:

Launched in 1996, PostgreSQL is also a very popular database used as a data warehouse or primary data store for web, analytics, geospatial and mobile applications. This is also an open-source SQL-based RDBMS (relational database management system) that supports C, C++, C#, Ruby, Java, Python, and other programming languages. This agile database is compatible with different OSs such as Windows, Linux, Unix, MacOSX, etc.
Latest version: PostgreSQL 15.3

Key features of the PostgreSQL database include
* Houses different constraints such as primary keys, foreign keys, exclusion constraints, explicit locks, advisory locks, etc
* Supports different SQL features like SQL Sub-selects, Multi-Version Concurrency Control,
* Streaming Replication, complex queries, etc.
* Compatible with different data types like Structured, Customizations, Primitives, Geometry & Documents.
* Supports MVCC or multi-version concurrency control

3. Microsoft SQL Server:

Launched in 1989, Microsoft SQL Server is a powerful RDBMS used for transaction processing, analytics applications, and business intelligence in IT environments. It comes with built-in intelligence & enables businesses to boost their performance, security, and availability seamlessly. MS SQL Server comes in different editions with authentication & security features.
Latest version: Microsoft SQL Server 2022

Key features of the Microsoft SQL Server database include:
* Available on both Linux & Windows platforms
* Supports semi-structured, structured, and spatial data
* It has a custom-built graphical integration
* Helps users build different designs and tables without syntax
* Comes with several features for protection, monitoring, and data classification
* Gives alerts on security gaps, misconfigurations & suspicious activities

4. MongoDB:

MongoDB is a document-oriented open-source NoSQL database used for high-volume data storage. Written in JavaScript, C++, and Python, this is a very flexible and scalable database platform that removes relational DB approaches. MongoDB offers a high level of flexibility through load balancing and horizontal scaling capacities. This is a perfect option for web apps that need high performance.
Latest version: MongoDB 6.0.5

Key features of the MongoDB database include:
* Effectively supports ad hoc queries
* Highly scalable & flexible database
* Offers schema-less database
* Appropriate indexing for query executions
* Replication for data availability & stability

5. Oracle:

Oracle is a very popular RDBMS that is known for its high-performance and cost-optimization solutions. This is a commercial relational database written in C, C++ & Java. Oracle comes with a relational database architecture that offers an easy, scalable, performant solution for accessing, defining, and managing data.
Latest version: Oracle 21c

Key features of the Oracle database include:
* Executes fast backup & recovery
* Provides multiple database support
* Offers superior scalability
* Offers better user controls and identity management
* Utilizes a single database for every data type

6. Redis:

Redis stands for Remote Dictionary Server and is a widely-used open-source database used for web applications and cache management. Redis can also be used with different streaming solutions like Amazon Kinesis & Apache Kafka to analyze & process real-time data.

This database also supports different data structures like lists, streams, bitmaps, strings, maps, and so on. Because of its high performance, Redis is vastly used in many sectors such as IoT, Gaming, Financial Services, etc.
Latest version: Redis 7.0.11

Key features of the Redis database include:
* Provides premium speed with improved caching & in-memory capabilities.
* Supports a variety of data structures (strings, hashes, lists, bitmaps, HyperLogLogs, etc)
* Compatible with different languages (Java, PHP, Python, C, C#, C++, etc)
* Offers quick access to data for training, deploying, and developing applications

7. Cassandra:

Released in 2008, Cassandra is a distributed open-source NoSQL database that effectively manages vast amounts of data. It provides excellent scalability that supports multi-datacenter replication and automatic data replication. Cassandra database is ideal for applications that need prompt data access with high performance.
Latest version: Cassandra 4.1.0

Key features of the Cassandra database include:
* Easy to scale
* Highly scalable & comes with strong architecture
* Offers flexibility for data distribution
* Faster linear-scale performance
* Very flexible data storage
* Supports properties like Consistency, Atomicity, Isolation, and Durability

How Much Does The Web Application Database Cost?

In general, the average web app development cost ranges from $5,000 to $100,000. However, this cost depends on too many parameters like web app database complexity, features & functionalities, backend infrastructure, etc.

If you want to get a proper estimation of your web database application cost, you can take advantage of a web app cost calculator. For your convenience, we have listed the average web application development costs based on their categories.
Factors
Basic Web Apps
Medium Apps
Complex Apps
Highly Complex Apps
Estimated cost
$3,000 to $15,000
$15,000 to $60,000
$60,000 to $2,50,000
More than $250,000
Timeline
    . to 5 weeks
    . to 20 weeks
    . to 25 weeks
More than 9 months
Features
Simple landing page
Static content
Landing page
Database integration
Admin panel
User accounts
Online payment options
Third-party integrations
Landing page
Huge database integration
Admin panel
Multipleuser accounts
Online Payment options
Third-party integrations
Personalized features
Landing page
Top-notch database integration
Admin panel
Customized features
Examples
Online brochures
Portfolio
websites
MVP
Web portals
E-commerce websites
Online gaming sites with animation
Web applications for businesses
Automated billing systems
Human resources management system (HRMS)
Complex ecommerce websites
Custom web apps
On-demand web apps
App for complex businesses
High-end features with AI/ML integration
Custom web apps

Final Words

In the past, the process of selecting a database web application was straightforward. However, in this modern era of software development, this process has become very intrinsic as too many options are available today and the business requirements have also transformed.

For a business that works with small apps, NoSQL databases like MongoDB can be the best choice & for managing large & complex applications, databases like MySQL, MS SQL Server, and PostgreSQL can be the right choice. Would you like to know more about web applications with databases? Talk to our experts today.

Are you looking to dive into the world of relational databases but feeling overwhelmed by the options available? MariaDB might just be the perfect starting point for you. In this beginner's guide, we'll introduce you to MariaDB, an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that's renowned for its ease of use, scalability, and robust performance. Whether you're a budding developer, a small business owner, or just curious about databases, this guide will walk you through the basics of MariaDB and get you started on your database journey.

What is MariaDB?

MariaDB is a community-developed, open-source RDBMS that was forked from MySQL in 2009. It's designed to be a drop-in replacement for MySQL, meaning that most MySQL features and commands work seamlessly with MariaDB. This makes it an attractive option for those already familiar with MySQL or looking to migrate from it.

Features of MariaDB:
   

. Open-Source: MariaDB is distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), making it freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
   
. High Performance: MariaDB is optimized for high performance, thanks to its efficient storage engines, query optimizer, and multi-threaded architecture.
   
. Scalability: Whether you're running a small-scale application or managing large-scale deployments, MariaDB can scale to meet your needs.
   
. Security: MariaDB takes security seriously, offering features such as encryption, role-based access control, and secure connections to ensure your data remains safe.
   
. Compatibility: As mentioned earlier, MariaDB strives to maintain compatibility with MySQL, which means you can easily migrate existing MySQL databases to MariaDB with minimal hassle.

Getting Started:

Installation:

Getting started with MariaDB is straightforward. You can install it on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS. Here's a basic overview of the installation process:

-Linux: Most Linux distributions offer MariaDB in their official repositories. You can install it using your package manager. For example, on Ubuntu, you can run sudo apt-get install mariadb-server.

-Windows/macOS: MariaDB provides installers for Windows and macOS on their official website. Simply download the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Configuration:

Once MariaDB is installed, you'll need to perform some initial configuration steps, such as setting up a root password and securing the installation. This typically involves running a configuration script or accessing the MariaDB command-line interface (CLI).

Creating Databases and Tables:

With MariaDB installed and configured, you can start creating databases and tables to store your data. You can do this using SQL commands or a graphical interface such as phpMyAdmin.

Here's a simple example of creating a database and a table:

CREATE DATABASE my_database;
USE my_database;

CREATE TABLE users (
 id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
 username VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
 email VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL
);

This creates a database named my_database and a table named users with columns for id, username, and email.

Performing Basic Queries:

Once you have your database and tables set up, you can start querying your data using SQL. Here are some basic examples of SQL queries:

-Inserting Data:

INSERT INTO users (username, email) VALUES ('john_doe', '[email protected]');

-Selecting Data:

SELECT * FROM users;

-Updating Data:

UPDATE users SET email = '[email protected]' WHERE username = 'john_doe';

-Deleting Data:

DELETE FROM users WHERE username = 'john_doe';

Conclusion:

MariaDB is an excellent choice for beginners and experienced developers alike who are looking for a powerful, open-source relational database solution. In this guide, we've covered the basics of MariaDB, from installation to performing basic database operations. As you continue to explore MariaDB, you'll discover a wealth of features and capabilities that can help you build robust and scalable applications. So why wait? Dive into MariaDB today and unlock the full potential of relational databases.