This document discusses using PHP to build rich internet applications (RIAs). It provides examples of using PHP to return XML or JSON data to an RIA client, and using AMFPHP to transfer PHP objects directly to ActionScript clients. It recommends building PHP apps as services that can be consumed by any front-end technology, including Ajax, XAML and Flex, in order to simplify the PHP code.

1. PHP and Rich
Internet Applications
Mike Potter
http://www.riapedia.com/
mike.potter@adobe.com

2. Fast
Easy

3. <?php
if (!$link = mysql_connect('mysql_host', 'mysql_user', 'mysql_password')) {
!! echo 'Could not connect to mysql';
!! exit;
}
if (!mysql_select_db('mysql_dbname', $link)) {
!! echo 'Could not select database';
!! exit;
}
$sql! ! = 'SELECT foo FROM bar WHERE id = 42';
$result = mysql_query($sql, $link);
if (!$result) {
!! echo quot;DB Error, could not query the databasenquot;;
!! echo 'MySQL Error: ' . mysql_error();
!! exit;
}
mysql_free_result($result);
return($result);
?>

4. function PMA_getSearchSqls($table, $search_str, $search_option)
{
global $err_url, $charset_connection;
// Statement types
$sqlstr_select = 'SELECT';
$sqlstr_delete = 'DELETE';
// Fields to select
$res = PMA_DBI_query('SHOW ' . (PMA_MYSQL_INT_VERSION >= 40100 ? 'FULL ' : '') . 'FIELDS FROM ' . PMA_backquote($table) . '
FROM ' . PMA_backquote($GLOBALS['db']) . ';');
while ($current = PMA_DBI_fetch_assoc($res)) {
if (PMA_MYSQL_INT_VERSION >= 40100) {
list($current['Charset']) = explode('_', $current['Collation']);
}
$current['Field'] = PMA_backquote($current['Field']);
$tblfields[] = $current;
} // while
PMA_DBI_free_result($res);
unset($current, $res);
$tblfields_cnt = count($tblfields);
// Table to use
$sqlstr_from = ' FROM ' . PMA_backquote($GLOBALS['db']) . '.' . PMA_backquote($table);
// Beginning of WHERE clause
$sqlstr_where = ' WHERE';
$search_words = (($search_option > 2) ? array($search_str) : explode(' ', $search_str));
$search_wds_cnt = count($search_words);
$like_or_regex = (($search_option == 4) ? 'REGEXP' : 'LIKE');
$automatic_wildcard = (($search_option <3) ? '%' : '');
for ($i = 0; $i < $search_wds_cnt; $i++) {
// Eliminates empty values
// In MySQL 4.1, if a field has no collation we get NULL in Charset
// but in MySQL 5.0.x we get ''
if (!empty($search_words[$i])) {
for ($j = 0; $j < $tblfields_cnt; $j++) {
if (PMA_MYSQL_INT_VERSION >= 40100 && $tblfields[$j]['Charset'] != $charset_connection && $tblfields[$j]['Charset'] != 'NULL' &&
$tblfields[$j]['Charset'] != '') {
$prefix = 'CONVERT(_utf8 ';
$suffix = ' USING ' . $tblfields[$j]['Charset'] . ') COLLATE ' . $tblfields[$j]['Collation'];
} else {
$prefix = $suffix = '';
}
$thefieldlikevalue[] = $tblfields[$j]['Field']
. ' ' . $like_or_regex . ' '

6. www.riapedia.com

8. RIA Characteristics
• Full applications
• Could replace desktop apps
• Applications, not web pages

11. What’s in it
for me?
for my employer?

12. “ Rich Internet Applications
are the next evolution of the
web.
”
Source: Gartner Research, May 11, 2005

13. Builds on existing skills
and knowledge

14. $

15. Saved ~160 GB in 3 hrs

16. User experience
matters

17. Client Options
• Ajax (In Browser)
• Java (Sun)
• XUL (Mozilla)
• XAML (Microsoft)
• MXML (Adobe Flex)

18. Ajax Examples

19. XUL Examples

20. XUL Examples
Songbird

21. XAML Examples

26. To Think About
• Reach - How many people will view this
application? What platform will they be on?
Is it an open or closed platform?
• Rich - Can I integrate rich content easily,
like video, audio and animations?
• Tools - What will I use to build this
application? How will I debug?

27. PHP and RIAs
• Read in XML from a PHP backend (REST)

28. REST with PHP
<?php
//connect to the database
mysql_connect ...
//get the data
mysql_query( “SELECT * from recipes”);
...
//transform into XML
print “<recipes><recipe id=’1’ name=’cake’/><recipe id=’2’
name=’hotdog’/></recipes>”;
?>

31. PHP and RIAs
• Transfer PHP objects to the client directly
• JSON - JavaScript Object Notation
• AMF - ActionScript Messaging Format

32. JSON and PHP

37. Flex with AMFPHP
<?php
//connect to the database
mysql_connect ...
//get the data
$ResultObject = mysql_query( “SELECT * from recipes”);
...
return( mysql_fetch_object( $ResultObject ) );
?>

38. How to make money?

39. How to make money?

40. Recap
• Build PHP apps as services that can be used
by any front end - Ajax, XAML, Flex etc...
• Rich clients and components allow you to
simplify your PHP code

41. What’s next?

42. Web Compiler for
Flex Applications
• http://labs.adobe.com
• Allows you to create MXML, ActionScript,
upload to the server and compile there,
similar to developing PHP applications

44. Apollo enables...
• Offline / Occasionally Connected
• Applications can run in background
• Network
• HTTP
• XML-RPC / SOAP / Rest based web services
• Binary and XML sockets
• File I/O
• Local storage / Settings API
• Custom Chrome
• Shape
• Alpha

47. THANK YOU!