Need Help?

Need any help with building your website? Just give me a shout!

Am fairly well versed in both FrontPage 2000 and Macromedia Dreamweaver MX, and can dabble a little in raw HTML.

If I can help, I'll be glad to!

Heya UniversalFiction...

Mind if I post here to offer help too?

I would also be pleased to help anyone with their web development. I have good experience in HTML, CSS, DHTML, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL and CGI (with Perl). I could probably help more with the programming of the website rather than design, for design and FrontPage Extensions i'm sure UniversalFiction will help you

So... If anybody needs help... Give us a shout!

The more the merrier!
Whilst I'm comfortable with modifying CSS and Javascript for my own sites, I'm still learning on that front really. And as for PHP....sheesh...don't talk to me about it....have been trying to get a PHP guestbook script to work on my server for weeks!!

Thanks

Ooo... I use a simple PHP guestbook program which I wrote on my website - www.webmasterdave.co.uk...

It only uses simple text files to save the data, not a database like MySQL as I wasn't expecting a lot of posts, lol.

If you wanted I could give you the code that I wrote? I could put all the scripts in a zip file (or whatever format you want) and give you the link to download it.

You said you couldn't get any of them to run on your server... Are you sure PHP is configured correctly? One really common problem is that "register_globals" is turned to off in the php.ini file. This means you can't access variables users put into form fields as just $name. But need to do - $name = $HTTP_GET_VARS['name']; or the same but $HTTP_POST_VARS['name'] depending on how you processed the form data. (get or post).

I might just take you up on that offer MH - I'll be in touch. A colleague has actually just sent me their complete PHP script that they use on their own site, so I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

My host advises PHP is configured "normally" and other users are able to get their scripts to work, however the majority of them are way ahead of me, knowledge-wise. It's probably something really straightforward I'm missing, but I'm determined to get it to work!! Another option is to move host to someone who supports ASP, as I have another colleague who can hard-code in ASP (very handy!)

We'll see how it goes. Thansk for the offer.

Heya...

That sounds cool... Good luck with it
Oh, so you pay someone to host your website? I thought you meant on your own server, lol. Sorry.

Oooo ASP *shivers* lol. I know a little ASP as it's like CGI - You use other languages with it. ASP uses JavaScript and VBScript. But I prefer PHP for my server side work.

Are you trying to find a host with ASP *and* PHP support? There isn't many that I know of that offer both, not sure why. Probably so they can have 2 packages and make people buy both, lol.

I actually have PHP *and* ASP configured on the webserver on my home network, but that is on a Windows platform with Apache. I use Apache with Linux on my development webserver, but I don't know if I could install ASP on that, not looked into it.

Anyway... Keep in touch and tell me how it goes

Yeah, it's currently hosted by FastHostsUK, but I'm planning another move soon, depending on whether I have any more problems or not. I've been with them only 2 months and in that time my site has been offline more often than it had been when I was with my previous host for 2 years!!

If I do go for ASP, hopefully I won't need PHP. Ideally I'd like my own server at home too, but until I can afford to pay my broadband ISP for a static ISP, I'll have to rely on 3rd party hosting for the time being!

Heya...

You don't need a static IP to host your website 24/7.
Even if your broadband connection has a dynamic IP address, it's sill possible. All you do is sign up with a company like www.no-ip.com...

Get your domain name through them, they forward it to your IP address, etc. Then you download a bit of software from them which sits on your computer and whenever your IP address changes, the program uploads your new IP address to their server so it can re-forward the domain name to you still. So basically you will only lose 0.01% uptime, lol.

I don't actually have a broadband connection at home, so I can't host my stuff 24/7 that well, as the bandwidth would be so low. (I just have 56k). I host my websites through - www.oneandone.co.uk...

They are a great host. They do Linux and Microsoft hosting (I use Linux), so for ASP you would want Microsoft. Cheap aswel. Really reliable, had no problems with them yet. Just gone 1 year with them now I think.

Oh sorry UF, I forgot to mention...

You could also transfer your existing domain name to a company like www.no-ip.com... and then do it that way, rather then you having to get a new domain name. I believe thats possible to transfer one to them anyways, not looked... But should be able to.

Yeah I tried a similar service when I was running an FTP server from home a few months ago, they seem to work quite well.
I dunno what the best option is, can't decide! We'll see.

Lol yea it is hard to decide isn't it.
Anyways... Good luck with whatever you choose.

I need help. i have been developing a website that I want to be able to restrict access to ie users have their own user name and password, I gather I have to use some kind of database but i have no idea how to start the thought of using server side script and the like is pretty daunting, can anyone help?

There's an easier option, you might be please to hear! Some 3rd parties offer "password gates" some of which I've tried in the past. I found the one at Bravenet to be one of the best - I still have mine setup somewhere if you'd like to test it out before signing up (it's free).

If so, just let me know and I'll post later tonight with the details.

[edit - sorry, I should have perhaps explained a little about how they work! Basically Bravenet provide a login portal on which you can setup individual user IDs and passwords to allow access to specific pages, they're a little restricting, in that they don't actually completely lockout the page you want to protect, but if you give the page a name no-one would guess e.g. 56b4hjb74k37k.html it's reasonably secure. Depends on how important what you're trying to protect is!]

[Edited on 6-11-2003 by UniversalFiction]

Hey guys maybe you can help me.

I am interested in starting up a website with a powerful discussion group.

Have been looking at postnuke but not sure if this is the best good choice. I want something open source and I like the idea of php in a full functioned package. Unfortunately the new version is not ready yet. Can the code be modified in this program?

Does anyone have suggestions or recommendations?

Also, I will be paying for hosting with a quality ISP btw and I am looking at a full service deal in order to make my life easier.

What I want is a site where I can spend most of my time running it and contributing to it and not designing it or constantly modifying it. Yet, I want complete functionality and a degree of scalability also.

I have to admit THENEO, I'd be able to assist with any HTML/CSS design aspects, but wouldn't be able to offer much more than that. I have no knowledge of these packaged message boards or how they work.

Good luck in finding something suitable

I don't know about PhpNuke THENEO, I hear it's *supposed* to be good. I have a copy of it on disk somewhere.

I actually make all my programs rather than finding a program that does it already, so I haven't really come accross any. What about the program ATS/BTS use? www.xmbforum.com... not sure if it's free or not.

Try searching somewhere like HotScripts (forgot the address, sorry) for disscusion boards. I'm sure you'll find something there or at any number of "Free Scripts" websites.

Also, a little tip (No offence to any people using the following...) Don't use "Guestbook provided by Matts Scripts" or whatever it is called for a guestbook/discussion board as it is so unsecure. All a cracker has to do is find the password file (by default - /forum/passwd.txt), crack it using a password cracker and their in!

Hope some of this info helps, search and I'm sure you'll find something

UF,

thanks for your generous offer. I may take you up on it as I will need all the help I can get.

I will keep you advised as to what is going on.

btw I may starting a non-profit organization in case you are interested.

can phy link with HTML? I believe that it can.

MH,

thanks man for your advice.

the XMB is probably the best forum software outthere that I have seen. I think you can get it free but it seems complex and a professional sit would likely need to pay the $150 licensing fee. A good deal mind you but this is not necessarily the type of site I want to put up, want more published articles and a robust news service with other features.

I will keep looking and let you know how it goes.

No prob THENEO...

As for your query if PHP can link with HTML, how do you mean? If you can use HTML in with PHP? You sure can...

You can either do something like this:

echo "tml>ead>";
echo "dy>1>Boo!";
?>

(remember if you use quotes for HTML, in PHP either don't use them, or use single quotes e.g. echo "ont color=red>")

Or, you can pop in and out of PHP, like this:

$name = "Blah";
echo $name;
?>
tml>ead>
dy>
echo "There ya go";
?>

Wow...

My PHP code actually effected the way it was displayed!
ATS/BTS should really change that! Security risk.

Hint to ATS...

use the HTMLSpecialChars() function

e.g. [$message = HTMLSpecialChars($message)]