[Webdev] Project suggestion: PHP Website Framework

[Nick Murtagh]

On Thursday 21 February 2002 19:15, adam wrote:
> MSIE has over 80% of /full/ market share last time I looked. You're just
> being difficult now Nick. :)

I am :) 

But I can't believe your proposing on webdev at _linux_.ie to standardize
on a web browser that only runs on proprietary platforms, is completely
insecure, and isn't particularly standards compliant. 

> Because Dreamweaver is more of a web design tool than a web development
> tool. Take a simple example, where you update one of your main page
> templates in DW: when you go to publish, you have to publish /everything/
> that uses that template. With Phactory, you update your template online[1]
> and you're done. But that /is/ a simple example. Phactory is intended to be

OK, I see what you mean. Dreamweaver for the templates, Phactory for filling
in and managing the templates. Makes sense.

> [2] And this brings up /another/ aspect: currently, changes made to the
> database affect the website in realtime. I don't like this, it leaves a
> window for simple mistakes that could be avoided by introducing a staging
> database. It would be my intention to include a staging system from the
> outset.

Some ideas:

You have a "save" command which checkpoints the user's work, and a "publish"
command which makes changes visible. You might also make the "save" command
implicit, and provide instead an n-level "undo" command. You might allow the
user to tag known-good versions of the site, for backup or release purposes.
Next you worry about multiple users working on the same site, including the
ability to "lock" a page for editing and later "release" it, or even fancier,
the ability to work on a page in parallel and "merge" changes. (This is harder
to implement, and probably not necessary for website developers).

Nick