Richard Thomas has released the latest version of his extensible framework today - jQPie 0.3.

The main thing in this release is the addition of an auto complete and a grid example based of the extjs library, One thing to keep in mind the css files provided by extjs will overrun pretty much any css you have, the main one being ext-all.css, It seems some things are set in here that are required for the examples to work but at the same time it styles pretty much every element in existence.

jQPie is a "a lightweight PHP interface to jQuery. The lightweight interface allows multiple ways to interact." It also has a plugin interface that allows other modules to be built on to the core functionality. Check out its wiki for more information.

In the continuing development of his online PHP-based game, Pádraic Brady has created a simple class to help with mapping out the objects/structures in the game. He shares the code for this in his latest blog post.

The code sets the stage for the Redux mapping system. Basically, we're aiming at a grid-based map with each grid coordinate representing a Sector.

Right now, it's just a skeleton structure, but it already has some of the key bits of functionality in place. The Redux_Map class manages the requests coming back and forth between the client and server, and the Redux_Map_Grid class helps to generate a grid structure of the objects found in that sector.

He even includes the unit tests for testing the Redux_Map_Grid class to ensure everything's in tip top shape. Next on his list is adding actual entities to the game - planets, facilities, etc.

A press release has been published from Senza Limiti about their acquisition of the PHPScripts.se's Ajax-enabled DataGrid component and intentions to release it under both an Open Source license and a commercial license (like MySQL has done).

The PHP Grid is an Ajax-based table component that shows database information in a good looking, easy to use way. All user actions are performed in real time, on the client side, giving instant feedback and providing a desktop-like user experience. Among its features are Excel support and an automated print function that presents the table in a printable format. It also allows instant editing of database rows.

You can get the complete details on the component from these pages on Senza Limiti's website.

When it comes to protecting your code, you definitely want to find the right product for your needs. Finding the information on all of the encoders out there can be a task in itself, though. Fortunately, EncoderCompare.com has been created to give you a quick and easy reference.

Whilst we would always recommend the use of the ionCube Encoder product to protect your PHP source code when distributing your product to customers and users, there are several other products available to choose from.

To help with this, we have launched a comparison website which lists the available encoders and compares their features. The feature set is standardised so that it is possible to compare like for like in a clear manner.

Currently, there's fifteen encoders listed with all of their stats - protection types, restrictions available, what OSes it has loaders for, the availability of licensing, and the pricing. There's links to get more specific information on each as well.

Björn Schotte has posted this anticipatory post for the powerful Ajax + PHP tool coming from the TurboAjax.com group - a virtual data grid.

If you use Dojo, have a look at the fabulous widgets called TurboWidgets from TurboAjax.com: it's available for non-commercial and commercial usage. One of the great widgets is a data grid which can be customized in a wide variety.

As I've discovered in the TurboWidget forums, they're working on a virtual data grid. Imagine you want to display a list of 100,000 or more items which can be a major pita especially when working with slow internet connectivity. The solution is a real virtual data grid

He points to a demo they've posted and includes two screenshots, one of the previous situation with data grids like this, and a shot of theirs in action (loaded with 100,000 rows).