Debug_class

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Summary:
Output values of variables
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Description:
This class can be used to output values of variables.

It can take a list of variable values as arguments and outputs their values to the current page output.

The outputted values is followed by a backtrace of where the debug function was called, the current script memory usage and the current time.

The class can also output the variable values and exit immediately.

The debug output can be redirected to the PHP error log.


Dynamic Proxy

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Summary:
Generate code for proxy classes or interfaces
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Description:
This class can be used to generate code for proxy classes or interfaces.

It can generate code for a class or interface that provides the same functions as another existing class or interface.

The generated code is returned as a string that can be saved to a PHP script file or evaluated immediately to declare the generated proxy class or interface.


Upload File

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Summary:
Process file uploads submitted via Web forms
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Description:
This class can be used to process file uploads submitted via Web forms.

It can check whether an uploaded file is of one of the allowed types and does not exceed the file size limit.

The class can move valid uploaded files to a given directory and set the file permissions to make it accessible.


DFA (deterministic finite automaton)

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Summary:
Implement deterministic finite state machines
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This class can be used to implement deterministic finite state machines.

It takes as parameters arrays that define the alphabet of symbols accepted as input and lists of all possible states and transitions.

The class takes a string a input symbols to process and determines if the final state is valid.


IDForm

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Summary:
Compose HTML forms programmatically
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Description:
This class can be used to compose HTML forms programmatically.

It can compose a form by adding input elements interleaved with arbitrary HTML sections by defining the input parameters. You can also directly add html code into composing form if you need.

The class assembles the HTML of the composed form and returns it as a string.

All html genetation made according to W3C standatds.


PHP MySQL Database Class

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Summary:
MySQL database access wrapper
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Description:
This class implements a MySQL database access wrapper. It can:

– Establish connections to a MySQL database server host
– Execute arbitrary SQL queries
– Fetch query results into an array
– Execute SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE queries from parameters that define tables, fields, field values and conditions.
– Kill queries in execution
– Check if a table exist
– Optimize a table


[Free] New PDF Creator/Printer Driver: Bullzip PDF

A new virtual PDF printer driver, Bullzip PDF Printer, has been added to the Free PDF Converters, Editors and Printer Drivers page. Such drivers allow you to create PDF files from any program that can send a file to the printer. It pretends to be a printer to that program, and allows you to create a PDF file as the output instead of actually printing the document. It's a useful tool for those planning to publish their own ebook or who want to distribute their document to others in a portable fashion.

Make Friends with BuddyPress

What if there was software with the elegance and extensibility of WordPress but all the features you’ve come to expect from social networks like Facebook? Now there is: check out BuddyPress.

BuddyPress is an official sister project of WordPress. The idea behind it was to see what would happen to the web if it was as easy for anyone to create a social network as it is to create a blog today. There’s been an explosion of social activity on the web, it’s probably the most important trend of the past few years, but there’s been a dearth of Open Source tools that enable the social web.

In WordPress we have a robust and extensible base that can scale to many millions of users, and BuddyPress is essentially a set of plugins on top of WordPress that add private messaging, profiles, friends, groups, activity streams, and everything else you’ve come to expect from your favorite social network, like a Facebook-in-a-box.

I don’t think BuddyPress will be something you use instead of your existing social networks, I mean all your friends are already on Myspace, but if you wanted to start something new maybe with more control, friendlier terms of service, or just something customized and tweaked to fit exactly into your existing site, then BuddyPress is a great framework to use. Maybe even someday you’ll be able to connect your BuddyPresses to each other and to the existing monolithic social networks.

This is just a 1.0 release and it’s not for everybody yet, for example it currently requires using MU which is a bit trickier to get set up than regular WordPress, but regardless I’d recommend diving into the community at BuddyPress.org, which is great example of the software in action.

Here’s Andy’s official announcement post.

Design Tweaks Poll Results

The poll is closed, the votes are counted, and the results are interesting. The table below shows the actual breakdown of the poll votes, of which there were 2,651. As you can see, there were four main contenders: Dean J. Robinson’s Fluency-based submissions (two variations), the existing 2.7 interface, and Matt Thomas’s comp (MT), which exists somewhere between them in terms of style. Note: GB was a late entry, and was posted after over 900 votes had already been collected.

The voting results

Top two submissions by Robinson and Thomas

As several people have rightly pointed out, the Fluency-style designs not only took the top spot, but in combination added up to a higher percentage than any other. We’re not focusing solely on that statistic, though, because had other designers submitted multiple versions, the numbers might have looked different. What was most interesting for me was checking in on the votes over the course of the two days the poll was open. The top three (Fluency-dark, Current 2.7, MT) kept beating each other out for the #1 spot as they cycled back and forth through the top three slots, and had the poll closed on time (left it open a little longer in case anyone translated the time zone incorrectly), the order would have been a bit different.

What’s more interesting to me is the overall style that seems to be preferred among voters, as Matt’s comp has some stylistic similarities to Dean’s (see image at left). It also would be interesting to know how many of the votes for the current 2.7 interface were based on thinking it looked the best vs. how many were votes against changing the interface at all so soon after the 2.7 redesign. If you want to comment on what you liked best and/or least about any of the designs, this thread is a good place.

So what happens now? However we look at it, the Fluency-style designs clearly have a lot of fans. Then again, so do the designs of Matt Thomas (he’s behind the current style of 2.7, remember, in addition to the comp labeled MT). To give the interface the attention it is due, and to take seriously some of the interface feedback around usability and accessibility, we’re going to leave the looks alone for 2.8. It’s our guess that a revised style will make into 2.9 early in the development cycle to allow us plenty of time for user testing and revision. How close it winds up being to the comps submitted in this design tweaks challenge will depend, but in the meantime:

Congratulations, Dean J. Robinson, on winning the vote!

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