The basic usage of Zend_Filter_Input is [a simple call to Zend_Filter_Input with the filter types and data to filter]. The problem is that the message you get out isn't always written as you would like. Consider the output if the body record is empty. The text isn't exactly what I would want to display to a user. To change it you pass in a messages parameter to the $validators array.

There's a long list of these "messages parameters" and Rob includes them in the post - things like NOT_ALNUM, CHECKSUM, QUOTED_STRING, INVALID_DASH and UNDECIPHERABLE_TLD (37 of them in all).

The index page displays the newly downloaded messages in a table with five columns. These columns list (among other things) the date, subject and from field of the messages.

They break out the actions the page takes when someone logs in/views email - grab user info, grab messages, and display the navigation panels. Since they've already looked at the first of the list in a previous tutorial, they cover the last two, showing how to create the navigation (and some sub-pages) and how to grab all of the messages for the currently logged in user.

The idea is to give the owner of the blog the ability to manage the blog by being able to remove users and articles as required, or to alter the status of users by upgrading them to admin status or banning them. It is also a place where the administrator can start new topics that will then garner their own replies.

They go through the creation of the main admin script (functionality managed with a switch statement, including other external PHP files) and the functions that go in each of those individual files to make things work - managing messages, managing users, and managing categories.

One critical element to remember about programming with Flex is that it cannot connect to a database directly - it requires some form of middleware in order to access data. You'll be using PHP in order to generate the XML files that Flex will use to manipulate the data from the database.

PHP plays the middle-man in this lengthy tutorial, passing XML messages back and forth between the Flex application and interpreting it into MySQL queries and results. They take the PHP script through, step by step, to ensre you know exactly how it works. Next up is the Flex, complete with the code listing to create the simple database browsing application.

There's explainations, screenshots, and even a little ActionScript here and there, but in the end, you'll have a light, simple database browser to view the contents of your table.

The errors that PHP throws can sometimes be confusing and mysterious. It outputs them in an effort to make debugging your scripts easier so you can go and correct the error. To help with deciphering them, we have created a guide by looking at the source code for PHP versions: 4.0.0, 4.0.6, 4.1.2, 4.2.3, 4.3.6 and 5.0.0RC2. versions 4.3.6 and 5.0.0RC2.

On the tool they've created, all you need to do is enter in the error code number that the script spits back and it will show you the relevant information. It also has a listing of some of the samples below it to help you narrow it down quickly if you already know what you're looking for.

The site and the tool are all in French.]]> Thu, 29 Dec 2005 07:04:09 -0600