Just a thought.....

Just to let you understand what you can do...

Create an online clock system. People log in and out in their web browser, and monthly reports are generated. Sounds simple huh? Add public holidays. Add checks for login and logout. When its omeone birthday, do somethimg special to let other now. A Who's In board. Showing who's on leave, in a meeting etc. Add carry overs, i.e. you are required, in a flexi-time environment where you have to finish level end of year) to work x-hours per day, the balance (positive or negative) from one two week cycle to another, leaving you with a credit or debit to catch up to. Generate reports, showing the current cycle's report, and the option to expand other cycles. There is also options to add various types of leave, Or show who in which department is on leave. Automatically generate leave forms which pulls data from the database, e.g. name, surname, personnel numbner. telephone number, people responsible for signing your leave form printed, cross checking if you are allowed to take leave based on the fact that someone else in your department has already applied for leave. People who pop out for a while for private excursions -their time out needs to be subtracted when they clock out....and...and

Ag, I just leave it there. The point is, you can code very complex applications, but what looks simple initially WILL grow in stature once you start coding, and realize, but what if they click this, or do that etc.

Point again is, don't just code. Get a piece of paper, draw the flow, adding if and ands. You'll experience this with the assignment. The logic part of it is exhilarating. Then comes the hard part - coding your logic.....!

Once you have PHP in your blood, it never really leaves you....!

Interesting thought, Mac.

I was also flooded with ideas and possible applications over the long weekend. For now, they are tucked nicely in my idea book waiting for me to get a chance to expand on them.

I agree with you that we need to invest some time in planning our projects. I mentioned in another thread that I feel that my "wheel-spinning" days are over. This is partly because I learned the value of planning. If one just goes wild and starts coding without thinking things through and planning things properly on a piece of paper (or a spreadsheet for those who can't do without their PCs), one ends up feeling like a hamster, having done a lot of work (Wheel-spinning) and having nothing to show for it.

Again, I like your thought on a clocking system...

Cheers.

A Successful Nature Inspires Other People...

Hi.

If anybody was wondering what the role of planning is in programming (especially PHP programming), here it is:

"...the act of programming is really just only one small part of the application development lifecycle, and to be a successful programmer you need to at least understand where the other parts of the lifecycle fit in.

The easiest way to remember the parts of our lifecycle is using the mnemonic ADDIM, which stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Maintenance. While all parts are definitely important, the bias is towards the first four." Paul Hudson, Author of Practical PHP Programming. (Source: Practical PHP Programming)

I tend to agree fully with Paul Hudson on this one. I found that if I follow his advice, I become more productive and able to put together any web application.

While results are important, they become valuable (to the point of being priceless) in the long run if the method used to achieve them is sound. The ADDIM approach is a sound method that can turn even DotKhoza into a (inter)National PHP Programming and Web Development Hero.

Cheers.

A Successful Nature Inspires Other People...