BIT 2nd Year

Semester 3
IT 3505

Web Application Development II

Server Side Web Development (PHP &

MySQL) –
Part 3
Duration: 30 hours
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 Instructional Objectives
 Install PHP in a windows environment
 Install PHP in Linux environment
 Explain basic features of PHP
 Articulate MVC architecture
 Differentiate available PHP frameworks
 Explain MVC
 Use web services with PHP
 Develop a web application with PHP

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Sub Topics
1.1 Introduction to PHP (Ref 01 Pg:271-278)
1.2. Configuring the environment (Ref 01 Pg : 76 - 85)
1.3. PHP Syntax and Semantics
1.3.1. Variables (Ref 01 Pg:281-287)
1.3.2. Constants (Ref 01 pg:287 - 296)
1.3.3. Conditional Statements (Ref 01 pg:320-335)
1.3.4. Loops (Ref 01 Pg:335-346)
1.3.5. Functions (Ref 01 Pg: 346-357)
1.4. Arrays and data processing with arrays (Ref 01 Pg: 296-307)
1.5. Form processing with PHP (Ref 02)
1.6. Session control and Cookies (Ref 01 Pg:437-446)
1.7. File system management (Ref 01 Pg: 366-389)
1.8. Email sending using PHP (Ref 03)
1.9. Object Orientation with PHP (Ref 01 pg :397-423)
1.10. Working with MySQL database (Ref 01 PG:515-528)
1.11. Introduction to PHP frameworks (Ref 5)
1.12. Fundamentals of MVC (Ref 6)
1.13. How to call web service using PHP (Ref 01 pg:541-553)

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Compound Data Types

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Arrays
• One of the compound data types provided by
PHP is arrays.
• In PHP an array is an ordered collection of
data items where each item in the collection is
associated with a key. A PHP array can be
considered as an ordered map. Individual data
items of an array can be of any type.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Construction of an array
Syntax :
• An array is constructed
by using the language array(
construct index_1 =>value_1,
index_2 => value_2,
array(array_elements) ……………
• The array_elements index_n => value_n,
)
comprises of a comma-
separated index,value The comma after the last array
element is optional and can be
pairs, where each pair is omitted
represented as index =>
value.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Construction of an array…….
• The index of an example :
element can be of type $a = array(
integer or string. 1=> "First Item",
"item2" => "Second
• When the index is Item",
omitted, an integer 5 => "Third item",
index is automatically "Forth item"
);
generated, starting at
highest integer index +
1 or 0 if no item is PHP would automatically
generate the index 6 for the
given an integer index. last item in the array.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Accessing an element in an array.
example :
• An element of $a = array(
an array can be 1=> "First Item",
"item2" => "Second Item",
accessed by 5 => "Third item",
using the syntax "Forth item"
);
array_variable[i
Each element in the above array can
ndex] be accessed as below;
$a[1]
$a[“item2”]
$a[5]
$a[6]

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Changing the value of an array
element.
example:
• The following syntax
can be used to change $a = array(
the value of an array 1=> "First Item",
"item2" => "Second
element. Item",
5 => "Third item",
"Forth item"
$array_variable[index] );
= new_value;
$a[1] = “abc”;
$a[“item2”] = 25;
IT3505 Web Application Development II
Adding a new element to an array.

• The following syntax can be used to add a

new value to an array.

$array_variable[new_index] = new_value;

The new_index should not exist as an index

in the array.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Appending elements to the end of
an array.
array_push command can be used to add one or
more elements to the end of the array.

Syntax :
array_push(array_variable, value1,value2,……)

Example :
$a = array("Nimal","Saman");
array_push($a,"Kamal","Waruna");
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 Array of arrays
• Elements of an array can also be arrays.
example :

$a = array(
"males" => array("a" => "Nimal","b" => "Amara","c"
=>"Kamal"),
"females" => array("a" => "Kumari", "b" => "Nirmala", "c" =>
"Kamala"),
"fees" => array (2500,1500,500)
);

Accessing array elements example :

echo $a["females"]["b"]

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Looping through array elements
foreach looping construct can be used to loop
through the elements of an array.

Syntax :
foreach (array_expression as $value) statement
Or
foreach (array_expression as $key => $value)
statement
IT3505 Web Application Development II
Looping through array elements -
Example
<?php
$a = array(
1=> "First Item",
"item2" => "Second Item",
5 => "Third item",
"Forth item"
);

foreach ($a as $key => $value){

echo $key," - ",$value,"\n";
}
?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Combining Script Files

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Including Files
• PHP allows content in separate files to be inserted
into a single file just before the execution of the file.
This is a very useful when the same content (PHP,
HTML, text) to be included on multiple pages of a
website.
• File inclusion can be done by using two commands.
– include ‘filename’
– require ‘filename’
• The above commands can be included in the
locations of a file where the content of the specified
files are to be inserted.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
include and require commands
• The semantics of the two commands are
identical except how PHP handles the error
resulting in not finding the specified file
specified to be included.
– Command “require” will produce a fatal error and
stop the execution of the script.
– Command “include” will only produce a warning
error and the execution of the script will continue.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 include and require commands –
Example 1
The following script is in a file named example1.php

<?php
include "example2.php";
echo "Executing the file example1.php\n";
?>
The following script is in a file named example2.php in the
same folder

<?php
echo "Executing the file example2.php\n";
?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 include and require commands –
Example 2
The following script is in a file named example1.php

<?php
echo "Executing the file example1.php\n";
require "example2.php";
?>
The following script is in a file named example2.php in the
same folder

<?php
echo "This is the footer to be included in every web page \n";
?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Including PHP Scripts in HTML
Pages

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 How to include PHP scripts in
HTML Pages.
• Any number of PHP scripts can be included at different
places in a HTML page.
• When including a PHP script, it should be enclosed in
“<?php” and “?>” tag pair to designate what is in between
these tag pairs as a PHP script.
• A HTML file with PHP scripts should be saved with the
extension “.php” to indicate that the file needs to be
interpreted by PHP.
• To execute PHP codes embedded in a HTML page, the page
must be loaded through a web server which has configured
to execute embedded PHP scripts – Example Apache web
server.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example
<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>
<head>
<title>Including PHP in web pages</title>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width">
</head>
<body>
<div><?php echo "This is the first script"; ?></div>
<div>
<?php echo "This is the second script<br />";
echo "With many lines<br />";
?>
</div>
</body>
</html>
IT3505 Web Application Development II
How web servers execute PHP
scripts

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Processing Form data

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Forms in HTML
• HTML forms is a powerful feature that enables
an application on a web server to interact with
users.
• HTML forms allow users to send data to the
web site.
• An HTML Form is typically made of a collection
of widgets such as text fields, buttons,
checkboxes, radio buttons or select boxes.
• The “post” or “get” HTTP methods can be used
to send data to the server.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 action and method attributes
• Two important attributes of the “form”
element are “action” and “method”.
– action : specifies the URL of the web resource
designated to receive the data collected from the
form element.
– method : specifies which HTTP method (get or post)
should be used to send data to the receiving URL.
– If the receiving URL is a PHP program, then
depending on the method used in the HTML form
either the PHP superglobal $_GET or $_POST can be
used to access form data at the servers end.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example 1- Form with text inputs
<html>
<body>
<form action=“example.php" method="post">
Name: <input type="text" name="name"><br>
<input type="submit">
</form> The content of the example.php script is given below

</body>
</html> <!DOCTYPE html>

<html>
The name attribute specifies <body>
the key value of the $_POST <div> Hello <?php echo $_POST["name"]?></div>
global array element from </body>
which the value of this input </html>
item can be retrieved

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example 2- Form with check
boxes
<html>
<body>

<form action=“example.php" method=“post">

Do you have an email?
<input type=“checkbox" name=“emailOption“ value =
“Yes”><br>
<input type="submit">
</form> When the user checked the checkbox,
the value “Yes” is send to the server
</body> as the value of the attribute
“emailOption”.
</html>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example 2- check boxes ….
<html>
<body>
<div>
<?php if($_POST["emailOption"]
== "Yes"){
echo "Option is checked";
} else {
echo "Option is not-checked"; The data send to the
} server can be accessed
by using the $_POST
?> global array element with
</div> the key value
</body> "emailOption"

</html>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example 3- Form with a check
<html>
box group
<body>
<form action=“example.php" method=“post">
Which fruits do you like?
<input type=“checkbox" name=“fruits[]“ value = “Apples”>Apples<br>
<input type=“checkbox" name=“fruits[]“ value = “Oranges”>Oranges<br>
<input type=“checkbox" name=“fruits[]“ value = “Grapes”>Grapes<br>
<input type="submit">
</form> Note that the checkboxes have the same name
</body> “fruits” and each name ends in [ ].
</html> • The same name indicates that these checkboxes
are all related and forms a group.
• [ ] indicates that the selected values will be
provided to PHP script as an array. This means
That the $_POST[„fruitsr'] is an array not a single
string.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example 3- Form with a check
<html>
box group ….
<body>
<div>
<?php
$fruits = $_POST["fruits"];
if(!empty($fruits)){
echo "You like ";
for($i=0; $i < count($fruits);$i++){
echo "<br>". $fruits[$i];
}
} else {
echo "You do not like any fruits";
}
?>
</div>
</body>
</html>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example 4- Form with a Radio
button
<html>
<body>
<form action="example.php" method="post">
Please specify your sex :<br>
<input type="radio" name="sex" value =
"male">male<br>
<input type="radio" name="sex" value =
"female">female<br>
<input type="submit">
</form>
Note that all radio buttons should
have the same value for the attribute
</body> “name”.
</html>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Example 4- Form with a Radio
button ….
<html>
<body>
<div>
<?php
echo "you are a ". $_POST["sex"];
?>
</div>
</body>
</html>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Scope of Variables

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Scope of Variables
• The scope of a variable is the range of
statements in which the variable can be
used(referenced).
• The scope rules of a language specify how a
particular occurrence of a name should be
associated with a variable.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 PHP Scope Rules
Example 1:
1) Scope of a variable <?php
used inside a used function test(){
$a = 1;
defined function is }
limited to the
body of the echo $a;
?>
function by
default. In the above script $a variable
is local to the function test.
Thus, it is unknown outside
the function.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 PHP Scope Rules
Example 2:
1) Scope of a variable <?php
$a = 1;
used inside a used function test(){
defined function is echo $a;
limited to the }
test()
body of the ?>
function by
default. In the above script an error is
raised as the variable $a
defined outside the function is
not visible inside the function.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 PHP Scope Rules …..
2) Scope of a variable in a script spans
over the files included in a script.
Example :
<?php
$a = 1; The file example1.php
include 'example1.php'; contains the following
code
?>
The variable $a is visible in <?php
the included file echo $a;
“example1.php”. ?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 global keyword
<?php
$a = 1;
The keyword global function test(){
can be used inside global $a;
functions to refer to echo $a;
variable define outside }
the function(in the
global context). test();
?>
Syntax:
global $a,$b,……; In the above script the variable
$a inside the function binds to
the variable $a defined outside
the function.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 Superglobals
Superglobals are built-in variables that are always
available in all scopes. This means the superglobal
variables are provided by PHP and are visible
everywhere in a script. The PHP superglobals are
given in the following list.
• $GLOBALS $_ENV
• $_SERVER $_REQUEST
• $_POST $_GET
• $_FILES $_COOKIE
• $_SESSION

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 $GLOBALS variable.
• The $GLOBALS variable <?php
defines an associative $a = 1;
array with the name of
the global variable being function test(){
the key and the contents echo
of that variable being the
value of the array $GLOBALS[„a‟];
element. This variable }
can be used to access
global variables from
anywhere in the PHP test();
script. ?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Static Variables
• A variable inside a <?php
function test(){
function can be static $a = 0;
defined as static to $a = $a + 1;
retain its value echo $a;
between function calls. }
This means that a static
variable does not lose for($i=0; $i <10; $i++){
its value when program test();
execution leaves the }
?>
scope.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 Static Variables ………
<?php
• A static variable can function test(){
be initialize with a static $a = 2 + 3; //
constant value. incorrect
However, PHP does
not allow a static }
variable to be
initialized with the
final value of an
expression.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Cookies

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Cookies
• A cookie is a file with small amount of data that a
website embeds on the user’s computer through a
web browser. This cookie is send back to the website
by the browser every time the user is accessing the
same website by using the same browser.
• The browsers can either enable or disable cookies.
• In PHP data stored in cookies can be accessed by
using the global array $_COOKIE

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Setting a cookie – setcookie()
• Syntax: Cookies must be sent
• setcookie($name [, $value before producing any
[, $expire]]); output in a script. This
• Semantic: requires setcookie()
• Sends a cookie to the browser. function to be used
• $name - The name of the cookie prior to any output,
• $value – The value of the cookie including <html> and
• $expire – The time (in seconds) the <head> tags as well as
cookie expires. If this value is set to 0 any whitespace.
or omitted, the cookie will expire
when the browser closes.
• The function returns the Boolean
value TRUE on success or FALSE on
failure.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 Checking whether cookies are
enabled or not.
• <?php
• setcookie("name","saman",time()+3600);
• if(count($_COOKIE) > 0){
• echo "Cookies are enabled<br>";
• } else {
• echo "Cookies are disabled <br>";
• }

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Modifying the value of a cookie
• To modify the <?php
value of a cookie setcookie("name",“Kamal",tim
call the same e()+3600);
?>
function
setcookie() with
the new value.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Deleting a cookie.

• To delete a
cookie execute
the same
setcookie()
<?php
function with an setcookie("name",“Kamal",tim
expiration date in e()-3600);
the past. ?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

File Handling

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Typical operations on files
• Opening a file
• Adding data/ Accessing data
• Closing the file

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Opening a File
File opening modes
Syntax: w – write
fopen ( $filename , $mode r – reading
[,$use_include_path = false [, a – appending
$context ]] )
fopen() binds the resource named as fopen returns a file
$filename, to a stream. pointer resource on
success or FALSE
on failure
• If a file named “mydata.txt” exists then the content of
the file is deleted.
• If there is no file with the name “mydata.txt” then a new
file with the name “mydata.txt” is created.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 Writing data to a file
<?php
$f = fopen("data.txt","w");
fwrite returns the
fwrite($f,"My name is number of bytes
saman\n");
written to the file or
fwrite($f,"My age is 90"); FALSE on failure.
fclose($f);
?>
Syntax of fwrite :
fwrite ( $handle , $string [, $length ] )
fwrite() writes the content of $string to the file stream pointed to by
$handle. If the optional length argument is given, writing will stop after
$length number of bytes is written or the end of string is reached,
whichever comes first.
IT3505 Web Application Development II
 Appending data to a file
<?php
$f = fopen("data.txt",“a");
fwrite($f,"My name is Sunil\n");
fclose($f);
?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Reading data from a file – fgets()
Syntax: <?php
file ( $filename) $lines= file(“data.txt");
foreach($lines as
Semantics:
$line_no => $line){
• Reads the entire file echo
$filename into an array. $line_no,$line,"<br>";
• The command returns }
– The file in an array. Each ?>
element of the array
corresponds to a line in the
file or
– FALSE if an error occurs.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Reading data from a file – file()
Syntax:
fgets ( $handle [,$length ] )

Semantics:
• Reads a line from the file pointed to by the file pointer $handle.
• The command returns
– A line of symbols (including the end of line marker) from the file as a
string when the $length parameter is not specified or
– A string of up to length - 1 bytes from the file when $length
parameter is specified or
– The Boolean value FALSE when there is no more data to read in the
file or
– The Boolean value FALSE if an error occurred while reading the file.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

Reading data from a file – fscanf()
Syntax:
fscanf( $handle, $format)
<?php
$f = fopen("data.txt","r");
Semantics: while ($line =
• Reads a line of the file fscanf($f,"%s\t%d\n")){
pointed to by the file echo $line[0],"-
pointer $handle according ",$line[1],"<br>";
to the format specified by
the string $format. }
?>
• The command returns
– the values parsed as an
array.

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Reading data from a file -
Example
<?php
$f =
fopen("data.txt","r");
while (! feof($f)){
$line = fgets($f);
echo $line, "<br>";
}
fclose($f);
?>

IT3505 Web Application Development II

 Checking the existence of a
file/directory
<?php
Command : file_exists()
if(
Syntax : file_exists($filename) !file_exists("data.txt")
Semantics : ){
echo "File does not
Checks the existence of a file or exists";
directory. exit;
It returns the Boolean value }
TRUE when the file/Directory echo "File Exists";
?>
exists, otherwise it returns
FALSE.
IT3505 Web Application Development II