Brown PHP

Well I spent a few hours condensing the PHP code that I developed for BrownPHP into a Twitter class that can be downloaded. You can get it PHP class in my code repository.

Take a look at the class and let me know if there are any methods that you would like to have added to the class. Currently there are two main methods.

1. sendTweet – This method is a popular one that is seems like everyone want to use. It’s a simple method that can be called to tweet something to your Twitter account. This method is very simple and shouldn’t be complicated at all to implement into your own code at all.
   
2. getTagCloud – This is another easily implemented method. By providing any Twitter username, this method will generate a Twitter Tag Cloud. If you have never used a Twitter Tag Cloud, it basically can provide a bird’s eye view of the topics that a Twitter user tweets out more regularly.
   

I won’t get into how integrating your own sites and projects into Twitter can make them more social and viral inducing, but I will say that if you aren’t using Twitter right now you are losing out on a great way to help your brand.

There are so many insightful people on Twitter (granted a lot of trolls too unfortunately) and a lot of great ideas that can culminate by socializing with this community. I myself am going through a re-branding phase. Instead of using my dlbrown06 Twitter account, I will be using the BrownPHP Twitter account to be tweeting about BrownPHP and other PHP interests.

If you are involved in the PHP community, wanting to learn PHP, or are a PHP guru yourself follow BrownPHP. I’ll be sure to follow you as well to continue discussing PHP projects and development.

So what PHP projects have you been involved with lately? Every PHP project that I get involved with seems like it is a two rapid development project. That is, PHP projects that I have been doing for the company that I work with. I have to tell you, I’m not a fan of the rapid development process.

Multiple times I have been approached asking if this type of PHP app can be done. Most of the time, the answer is yes. Then the follow up is, okay we need it done and working in two weeks. Maybe it is my fault for not arguing the due date, but I can’t help it. I get offered too few PHP projects at my 8 to 6 to pass one up.

Rapid Development Process = Poor Documentation

Well, I was able to finish the project in the allotted time given to me, but not in the fashion that I would have liked. I wouldn’t say mistakes have been made in any of these projects, but I will say most of them could have been documented much better. I have a certain feeling of remorse when I think about the next developer that needs to update the code.

Can I go back through the code to document it properly the way it should have been done in the first place when I have a free second? Sure, but with company budget cuts and co-employees being laid off (working in the heart of Michigan), I’m making less and doing twice as much. So yeah, I’ll get to it when I have a free second.

Maybe I’ll do another post on RDP in the future, because I feel this process warrants more discussion. For now however, let’s talk about our projects.

My PHP Projects

Getting away from the topic of my day job, in my moonlight hours I have been working on Auction Alerts as you may have noticed from my previous post. This site integrates the eBay API largely to help find eBay deals, although the Amazon API is being used as well, but sparingly. I was thinking about implementing the Shopping.com API into the site, but I need to look through their documentation a little more to understand how I could best integrate it into the site.

I have given the site a new theme to match its blog’s. This project has been taking up most of my free time while not at work. I’m considering taking it out of beta soon because it is being used by a medium sized group of people and for the last month there haven’t been any issues. If you haven’t checked this site out, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to look it over and tell me what you think.

What PHP projects are you working on?

If you are a developer yourself and would like a free plug to the project that you are working on or one that you have done in the past. The community here would to hear about it.

You can either email me a post explaining your project and what is does or you are always welcome to sign up with BrownPHP and I can make you an author from which you can just write the post here on this site. You would just have to let me know.