This course covers many of the same topics as both the PHP I: Foundations and PHP II: Higher Structures classes but at an accelerated rate with special emphasis on the differences between PHP and other commonly used languages.

The next session of the course starts on April 29th and will last through May 16th. There will be nine sessions during that time for two hours at a time. You can get full details, including how to reserve your spot, on the course's page on the Zend website.

Type: Permanent, salaried

Required Experience: 1-5 years of web application development

Required Education: 4-year computer science degree or related technical experience.

Pay Rate: Depends on experience

Industry: Automotive (service contracts) Required Travel: none

Summary: Need programmer analyst to develop and evolve proprietary web applications that support our growing service contract company in the automotive industry. Lots of opportunity to grow and make a difference in the company's future success. If you like a dynamic environment and have an eye for creating practical, web-based software solutions, this job is for you. Competitive pay and benefits package including health and dental insurance and matched 401(k).

Primary duties:

• Meets with users to identify and define use cases for a system.
• Designs software and databases to implement use cases.
• Estimates the development effort for defined use cases.
• Tests software for fit to the business need.
• Participates in training of users.
• Documents system design for efficient maintenance and evolution.
• Provides some database design and administration.
• Performs web site registration and setup.

Skills:

• Problem solving.
• Web application programming with PHP (5.0).
• Web application programming using JavaScript 1.3.
• Database design and administration using MySQL (5.0).
• Some object-oriented programming.
• Some Linux administration using Red Hat Enterprise (4.2).
• Integrated development environments like Zend Studio 5.0.
• Software component management using CVS.
• Able to write HTML by hand.
• Organization and time management.
• Verbal and written communications.
• Some graphics art design or ActionScript a plus.

It's a pretty good article about database design and I think all PHP developers who are just starting to integrate databases in their applications should read it. However, there are a few things I'd like to add and point out.

The "blurb" for the article mentions MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL, SQLite and database schemas. You can find out more about this issue, including how to get your own copy, from the php|architect website.

• don't see the need and/or benefits of a good programming IDE like Zend Studio or Eclipse PDT
• have never used some form of version control like Subclipse
• don't use a consistent methodology
• don't use test-driven development
• don't return content but echo or print it from your functions or classes
• return HTML, not data, strings, or objects.
• don't allow intelligent error handling
• you think reusable software equals/requires your code to be OOP

Now granted, some of them are a bit more high level than others, but if you're not headed towards a lot of these, you might change paths, hop out of that comfort zone and branch out into the community and the language a little bit more.