PHP, MySQL and Javascript

PHP

PHP is a language used especially for the production of dynamic web pages, that is to say pages whose content is updated every time they are viewed.

Automne is based upon PHP for several reasons:

• it is very popular and supported by the majority of web servers,
• it is conceived for the web and is very adapted to its needs,
• it is accessible without sacrificing advanced capabilities.

It allows Automne to benefit from an important community and permits you to easily make evolutions.  If you are not interested in PHP and prefer to concentrate on content, no problem.  With Automne you can forget the language even exists.

It is necessary, however, to know how to configure PHP on your web server, at least for the installation of the application.

Automne requires at least PHP version 5.2.0.  You must also remember to correctly configure the operating options of PHP.

For this you must modify the following guidelines in your file php.ini :

memory_limit = 64M
magic_quotes_gpc = Off
magic_quotes_runtime = Off
magic_quotes_sybase = Off
safe_mode = Off
register_globals = Off

Depending on your host, these guidelines may only be accessible by modifying a file .htaccess at the root of your site.  Consult your host or the FAQ, which lists a number of hosts and the guidelines to apply.  Do not hesitate to ask questions in the forum if you encounter difficulties either in installing Automne or setting the parameters correctly.

Using PHP CLI :

Automne may require using PHP CLI to execute background scripts on the server.   As explained in the FAQ, CLI is not indispensable but strongly recommended for sites with many users or large volumes of content.

On a shared server, CLI will rarely be available.  On a dedicated server, however, it is up to you to  install it. (See the PHP site for more information). In order for Automne to use CLI on your system you must:

• On a Unix/Linux server, ensure that CLI can be found on the user PATH used by Apache.
• On a Windows server, specify its location during installation.  You can next modify this location by modifying the constant PATH_PHP_CLI_WINDOWS in the file /config.php in Automne.
• On a Unix server (Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, etc.), you can also specify this location if CLI is not detected automatically during installation (if it is not found in the PATH of your server).  You can specify this location by modifying the constant PATH_PHP_CLI_UNIX in the file /config.php of Automne.

For all modifications of the file /config.php d'Automne, refer to the file /cms_rc.php  in order to know the constants employed and the possible values.

MySQL

MySQL is a very popular relational database management system (RDBMS) for the creation of internet sites.  It allows one to store, manipulate and restore the data you entrust to it.

Automne has chosen MySQL for the data management because it is free and open source and like PHP assures the durability of your site thanks to its versatility and its community.

No knowledge is MySQL is required to use Automne, which will take care of storing and retrieving your data for you in a totally transparent fashion.

Automne requires at least MySQL version 5.0. Next, you will have to get the necessary information about the connection to the database you will be asked for during the installation of Automne.  This information is usually provided by your host:

• Server of the database (host),
• Name of the database,
• User(s) accessing the database,
• Connection password for the database.

Javascript

Javascript is a programming language integrated in web pages and executed by the navigator.  It is complementary to PHP, which only executes itself on the server.  In addition to allowing the manipulation of pages after they load, it authorizes updates without reloading the page.

This language is today widely used to create a more agreeable experience for the user.  For example, our menu on the left uses it for ergonomic reasons.

Automne uses the most precise javascript technologies to offer an efficient and agreeable interface with the help of the library ExtJs or tools such as Blackbirdand  and Pretty Print to aid with the conception of complex sites.  You can next add any javascript library you want to make the sites created with Automne more interactive.