NYCPHP Meetup

[inforequest]

Ophir Prusak prusak-at-gmail.com |nyphp dev/internal group use| wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I've been playing around in my head with some ideas for a web site
>about using PHP.
>Unlike most other sites, it won't have (almost) any PHP in it.
>
>Most of the sites I see have mostly articles that deal with "how do I
>use function ABC" or "how do I solve problem XYZ  in PHP".
>I've been interacting with various other PHP developers quite a lot
>over the past couple of years and feel that there is a big issue most
>other sites don't seem to really tackle.
>
>How to become a good PHP programmer.
>
>I know that "really good" isn't well defined but I think you get the point.
>I can't help but noticing some of the questions and example code
>people ask about.
>For example, I just saw this questions a couple of days ago:
>http://www.experts-exchange.com/Web/Web_Languages/PHP/Q_21070233.html
>
>I'm thinking of something that doesn't explain so much the "what" as
>the "why" (and hope that the what naturally follows).
>
>So, am I barking up the wrong tree?
>
>Comments ?
>
>Ophir
>  
>

Certainly a noble proposal, but is it doable?

That example you linked to... wow. It appears the poster had a 
functional requirement (use a form to select a stylesheet) but little 
concept of procedural programming. Therefore she brute-forced her way 
through a long script.

No concept of model/test program development, and an obvious lack of 
awareness of conditionals/flow control structures.  The first is the 
larger problem, IMHO. Why would anyone type out 83 sets, when developing 
a script?

So is this a PHP programmer needing training on how to be a better PHP 
programmer? I don't think so. Anyone can insert PHP code, but that does 
not a PHP programmer make (?)

Now writing code examples that are well-documented and thus didactic... 
that is a good idea. I'd start with foreach().... conceptually is can be 
a bear for the newbie (even anewbie with good concept of 
procedurealprogrammer and flow control).

-=john andrews