My PHP in action – Part One

After 80 hours of researching, analysing and evaluating its time to put my new found skills into practise. My aim was to keep the scripts as simple as possible, so that when I return to it in the future I fully understand and able to adapt and re-use the scripts.

In accordance with the creative brief section of my learning plan, I have created a PHP script that works, in relation to a basic HTML Post form registering data in to a MySQL database. This is a very common use of the scripting language within the web design/development world, the first point of information sharing on the users behalf. My example will be a Registration Form in which users can create a username and password.

The first thing was to plan the desired function of the registration, what data would I need to collect in order to set up a table within a MySQL database. As my form is for showcase purposes only and not collecting any data for business purposes, I decided on 4 fields. An id field that would be auto-incremented within the table, assigning each user a unique number, a full name field, a username field and a password field.

It all begins with a basic HTML "post" form

I decided to leave the usual e-mail field out of the equation as it would serve no purpose. From these four fields inside my database table, three are to be populated by the user. Their name, username and password.

During the creation of this script I found the best method of test my code was to ‘echo’ out a result, after each if statement. By doing this I cut out the margin for errors to occur. Also giving me the ability to see the various different avenues that may display on the user end, i.e entering an invalid username.

After testing my form on a server for the first time and seeing the information updated in the table of my MySQL database was a feeling of success. Finally giving meaning to the learning I have been doing over the past few months, as PHP scripts I have been writing and testing throughout served no real purpose other than an educational one. Being able to read through my code understand it fully, add and change functionality as I please is a real accomplishment for me, and displays the progress I have made through this learning plan so far.

Success! The MySQL database populated via the Registration Form

The next step in my learning contract and the second phase of my  creative brief goes hand in hand with register form and database table I have created. I am creating a login script that will enable to the registered user to connect to the database.