VinxStudio :: Technology and Life

Pentaho : Ubuntu Installation 101 Part 1

2011-11-29T22:00:00.001-08:00

Objective: Install a complete Pentaho working environment on an Ubuntu system using MySql as Database.

PreRequisite:
Java
Mysql

Step 1: Installing Java (using the default java with openjdk)
shell> sudo apt-get update
shell> sudo apt-get install default-jdk default-jre

shell> java -version

Step 2: Installing MySQL

shell> sudo apt-get install mysql-server

To check if MySQL is running
shell>sudo netstat -tap | grep mysql

To Start MySQL
shell> sudo /etc/init.d/mysql start

To Restart MySQL
shell> sudo /etc/init.d/mysql start

Check MySQL installation
shell> mysql -u root -p [PassWord]

Now that we have successfully installed Java and MySQL software, we shall proceed with the installation of Pentaho BI Server and its additional software. The following activities will be discussed in the next Blog Post:

Install the Pentaho BI server
Managing Databases and Administration Console Installation
Set up New Add-In’s like Saiku
Adding Users on Pentaho Administration Console
Install PDI/Kettle and Agile PDI in a Development Environment
Install Pentaho Design Studio
Install the Schema Editor (OLAP).
Install Pentaho Metadata Editor
Install Pentaho Report Designer (PRD)
Install the Dashboard Editor
Install Pentaho Aggregation Designer (PAD)

Other additional plugins
Production Server Configutation

Stay Positive and Happy

2010-08-30T03:37:00.000-07:00

1. You are in charge of your fate and fortune. So be in Charge!

Don’t be in prison by someone else or by something. Nobody can take your dreams and aspirations from you. The good thing is – you can go as far as you can and you can accomplish as much as you can. Dreams are limitless. Here is the truth: LIFE is what you make of it. It is not something that is simply going around you. You have to do something and it starts now and not tomorrow. Why do afraid if bad things happen? Believe that every moment is ideal in spite of its bad result, even good people has it. You know what? Even if you are not doing something, you still creating your life to it, then why not get involved and create a life you want and enjoy? The secret of all successful man is that they have a daily positive attitude. These are the people who live life and have a life to be proud of. You only have one life, so live life to the fullest.

2. Learn to laugh and have a sense of Humor.

Don’t take your life too seriously. You can be busy and have fun at the same time. Life is much too valuable to be moping around in self pity. It makes you more attractive and sweet sense of humor is a daily positive attitude that is good to have.

3. Carpe Diem: Seize every opportunity that you get.

It doesn’t have to be a grand opportunity nor a career maker kind of opportunity. It doesn’t mean running after every scheme that is presented to you. But don’t be terrified or scared to seize opportunities that you believe are right. Remember that successful people have trained themselves to have an innate awareness when it comes to taking advantage of new opportunities. This awareness can be developed. Seizing opportunities is an excellent daily positive attitude.

4. Always be thankful.

It has something to do with learning how to appreciate what you have and the people around you. Dreams and goals are important, but being grateful for the things you already have leads to greater happiness. A daily positive attitude draws in positive actions, and a dose of daily gratitude garners positive energy.

5. Be proactive.

True, you will not be able to anticipate everything but still you will be dealing with less disaster when you are proactive. Make good things happen to yourself and for others will help to boost up your daily positive attitude.

6. Be passionate about life and live it passionately.

Avoid the idea of just going through the day like any other day. Instead, find something to be passionate about in any given day. Squeeze all that you can out of life every day. Soon, you will discover that people are attracted to people who live life to the fullest.

Well-Being: Valuation and Realization

2010-08-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Well being is a kind of value that sometimes called as “prudential value”, to be distinguished from aesthetic and moral value. But usually well-being obviously plays a central role in any moral theory. A theory which said that it just does not matter would be given no credence at all. It’s like a kitchen food recipe for the body however well being is more rejuvenating recipes for the body and soul. From starting a busy day with an energizing juice boost to squeezing in a yoga class after work, rejuvenating personal rituals have slowly become part of our daily lives. Luxurious beauty treatments such as aromatherapy, herbalism, and massage are no longer limited to special occasions and the day spa. Well being takes an intimate, sensual approach to self-care, simple recipes and ideas that will make you feel as if you’re pampering yourself from the inside out.

Well being is a vague expression, bordering on the indefinable, yet claiming an increasingly dominant place in our psyche. We may not fully grasp all that it entails, but we know we want to make sure we get our fair share; it sounds that good. Well being requires harmony between mind and body. It implies a sense of balance and ease with the myriad dimensions of life. When we feel a sense of well-being, we are not under-stimulated and bored, nor are we suffering under the burden of excessive stress and pressure. We have a sense of control over our work and even over our destiny in life.

Historically, the mind and body connection has been rejected by some aspects of modern medicine. Yet, increasingly, studies are showing the extent of the influence that the mind can have over physical and emotional disease. If we want to consider our personal well-being, we have to recognize that it is not simply the opposite of stress, just as health is not the opposite of sickness. There is far more to the concept than that.

Friendship: Valuation and Realization

2010-08-28T04:21:00.000-07:00

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

It may be true that good friends are hard to find. But it is harder to maintain friendships. I believe the basic tenants of friendships is TRUST. These are good friends who won’t let you down even if you are in ill or someone close to you died. Some indications of trustful friends are if you talk to them without worrying if the information will get out or if they will judge you.

I value friendships because they make me what I am today. They are the defender, comforter, concerned citizens and the advisers in my life. These are the special people who will not only listen to me as I talk but will try to help me work through the issues. I personally thank them for their support throughout the days of my life. My friends are often the people who help me get out of bad behaviors or patterns or can protect me from doing things like going home with a wrong person. Thus, I need friends who are willing to stand up to me as long as they have their best intentions at heart and soul.

Lastly, No one wants to be friends with a complainer or a back-stabber, so I encourage everyone to put aside any negative views and show your sunny side. You'll have time for therapeutic vents about bad drivers or politics once you are truly friends. For now, focus on the positive and getting to know your friend.

Travel: Valuation and Realization

2010-08-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

Why do I love to travel? For many people it is a way of life. As for me, many things make travelling attractive. It is the thrill of experiencing new place, learning about the different culture, tasting the unusual international cuisine, creating unforgettable moments and memories, strengthening language skills and building friendships with other nationalities. That makes travel worth a thousand gold. It might also be the fascination of seeing new things that are not found in my day to day activities. The sole purpose of enjoyment and finding myself which brings happiness and challenges in my whole being provides personal benefits in every travel experience.

What are the places I've traveled? I've been to Cebu..a lot. Seriously, in my own country Philippines, Mindanao: Davao, Bukidnon, Cagayan, Butuan, Surigao, Iligan and other places that trails from Butuan to Cagayan then to Davao then back to Butuan; Visayas: Boracay, Bohol, Leyte, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Negros, Ilo-Ilo and other key Cities; Luzon: Manila, Quezon City, Pasig and other developed cities in the northern part. My International Travel includes Hongkong and Singapore.

Where do I want to travel? I love to go to Sydney Australia, Paris, London, America, Africa, Dubai, and so much more places to discover. To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.

Material Things: Valuation and Realization

2010-08-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

“Love gives beauty to everything it touches. Not greed and utility; they produce offices, but not dwelling houses. To be able to love material things, to clothe them with tender grace, and yet not be attached to them, this is a great service.”

I love material things and it brings me temporary happiness but it doesn’t mean I am attached to it. It only implies that I have to have those basic comforts necessary to live life. These material things especially money is incredibly important for man’s survival but those are not the only things I need. As the saying goes “Man does not live by bread alone”.

Do I have to let go of all the material things? No way, but I have to let go of the sense that it shall give me eternal happiness. I am aware that from the moment of birth, I am showered with material conveniences and desires. And, from then on the quest of better job, a bigger house, a nicer car and a more expensive wardrobe began. But one thing for sure, there is much more important than material things – and that is “RELATIONSHIPS”. It is the Relationship to my friends, family, love ones and especially to God. Nothing material could come close to that. Those are connections that can never be broken. Their existence is in my deepest soul, and they will always give me strength and purpose.

The fact that we are living in an abundant universe is filled with so much things. We are here on Earth to enjoy life, without any material things that is not impossible. In my opinion you can have everything you want and need as long as it is for the good for others as well and not only for thy self. Infinitely the more important than sharing one's material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves -- our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love.

Education: Valuation and Realization

2010-08-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

"An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life."

I value education for it forms me as an individual intrinsically on my mind, character and personal capability. In fact, Dr. Jose Rizal, our Philippine national hero, was born a physical weakling but rose to become an intellectual giant because of the educational system in the Spanish Regime. For me, education does not only direct students on many subjects which includes reading, writing, mathematics, science and history but it empowers individual or bring forth what’s within themselves. In fact, education correlates with learning which establish a sound knowledge base and skill set. Learning may not only reside inside a classroom setting but also within exposure to different life experiences.

As the world evolves, new things happen and it occur because of the thinking evolution of each human being’s gathered information from generation to generation. The major evidence to this is the existence of what we call “Information Technology” today and it continues to be an influential factor in education. We use them as a diverse tools and resources used to communicate, create, disseminate and manage information. And, I am so much blessed that I am part and involve in this era and course path. I shall say that I am an “Information Technologist”.

I would personally thank my parents who brought me to all these institutions:

San Roque Child Development School: I was able to enjoy and learn new things where I receive a formal structured Primary education.

Don Bosco Missionary Seminary: Yes! Indeed. I am an ex-seminarian. I was able to experience a proper discipline and training.

Univesity of San Carlos: This is where I got my college degree. I was able to finish a degree on Information Technology in which I then passionately practice as soon as I graduated. Literally, I was called upon the HR personnel of my first company right after the graduation rites.

Cebu Technological University: I am now currently studying at this school taking up a Masters Degree on Industrial Technology.

I believe that Education is not preparation for life, it is life itself!

Facebook Places: Is it a Place to be?

2010-08-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

The Facebook Places announcement was ironically the biggest day ever for new Foursquare user signups. Foursquare is on its way to three million users, according to Foursquare head, Harry Heymann.

Want to know more about Facebook Place? Visit http://www.facebook.com/places/.

Wisdom: Valuation and Realization

2010-08-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

“It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.”

King Solomon asks wisdom as a gift from God. I believe it was the wisest gift a human being could ask for. I love to have a genuine wisdom to deeply understand and realize the things, situation and people around to choose effectively and efficiently with a minimum time and energy. How great it is to comprehend on what is right in judging every circumstances in our lives. When we say wisdom it may usually requires personal discernment process in fast, quick and easy manner to comprehend things deep within our thoughts. You see, thoughts are unorganized data coming to and fro in our mind. Once we organize these buzz words into information and choose the best of the best then I say that it is the most or better yet the right decision.

I still remember when I first had a discernment retreat back in High School. We were given enough period of time to decide whether or not to continue a vocation as a priest or a brother or proceed with other career goal outside the sacred wall. I then chose to be free in what they call the real world. Did I choose the right decision? I think I did. I am currently happily enjoying my career path. Though it might sound an easy decision but I also did think and evaluate things out at that time. However, there will be more future situations that require more self-knowledge and intelligence in my life. I still have to cultivate my wisdom thinking as I journey towards this cruel but interesting world.

For me, wisdom needs a good internal consistency. It blends with great intelligence with perceptiveness and spirituality. In other words, the mind and our soul merge in their most remote space and time. People should see sincerest heart and be direct to others with consistent actions on wise man's belief.

Today, I am towards that path of true understanding…

12 Important Things: Valuation and Realization

2010-08-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

As I'll celebrate my Silver year this month of September (no need to say the exact date! It is for you to find out. J), I began to look back and realize that there are things in life I learn, cherish and value most. I start my discernment and ask this significant question: What are the most important things in my Life. Flashback of the past hovered then on my mind till I fall asleep. But before my eyes began to shut off and mind stopped thinking, I was able to list twelve (12) important things.

Wisdom. Some say wisdom is the best means to achieve the best ends. I say... “Wisdom is needed to achieve best results in myriad decisions”. If knowledge is power, then wisdom is freedom. It is the path to true understanding in life and of life.

Education. One way to get knowledge is through education. It is the universally recognized most fundamental building blocks for human development. It is in education which paves way to my intellectual growth as human.

Material Things: Gadget, Cars & House. These are not really the things I prioritize most but these are the things that speed up my service to others and bring pleasure and happiness to my material body. And, I still believe that these things are not eternal and decay in time.

Travel. Most travelers coined it as the luxury of having an escape. For me, it is more on depth understanding on how nature works and how other people live and think.

Friendship. A plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. I consider my friends to be allies in struggle or in any cause. In other words, I call them comrade in the battle field we call LIFE.

Well-being. Most commonly used in philosophy to describe what is non-instrumentally or ultimately good for a person. It may sound to be true however I refer well-being as health, nutrition and meditation.

Love Life. Love is virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. I shall discuss here on loving a woman, a lady and a girl.

Financial Independence. In Wikipedia, the term generally used to describe the state of having sufficient personal wealth to live indefinitely without having to work actively for basic necessities. This is what I am looking forward to and I think most people would want to.

Personal Growth. Other things I already have written in this blog may fall into this category. However, I shall focus my discussion on self improvement or personal development in terms of independence, self esteem, character and personality.

Career. One's calling in life – I may say. I shall discuss on looking forward in dealing with course or progress in my chosen path in Information Technology.

Family-Spirit. Deep than what they simply called family life. It is a special quality that feeds the Family with vigor and vitality. When that spirit is present, there is a desire to cling together in time of crisis, to sacrifice in time of need and strength to face problems.

Spiritual Life. The greatest need today is for men and women to know God better than by hearsay. I am more on to the teaching of the importance of conscious awareness as the rule for experiencing life and becoming free.

I shall dig deeper on each of those items as I approach my Birthday.

Read on tomorrow as I talked about Wisdom.

Improved MultiTouch Support on Firefox 4 Beta 3

2010-08-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

Multitouch technology is so much popular nowadays especially on Mobile Phones. But wait, here is an interesting video that portrays multitouch on a web browser.

Watch this:

Isn't it great?

Install Flash on Iphone 4

2010-08-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

People just want flash to be embedded on iphone but unfortunately Apple does not directly supports it. However, there are good guys who pretend to be bad guys to let flash play on Iphone 4.

Here how it is :

iPad is Delicious

2010-08-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

Why I Say So? Watch this to feel and taste it.

Mobile: Future Computing Device

2010-07-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

There will be 25 billion mobile app downloads a year by 2015. Juniper Research analyst Windsor Holden predicts that yearly mobile app downloads will top 25 billion, as both manufacturers and carriers around the world continue to promote apps and app stores. This compares to 2.6 billion downloads in 2009, so Juniper is basically predicting that this market will increase tenfold in the next five years.

How to avoid becoming a Workaholic

2010-06-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

1. Connect with friends and family. Consider therapy as an option. We only get one life. So live it well and take care of yourself.
2. Develop healthy habits. It is not something that happens overnight. By working on one small behavior change every day, you can make huge changes over the long-term.
3. Continue to reevaluate your goals, life purpose and behaviors. Question constantly your goals and life purpose.
4. It’s essential to listen to your body. When you listen to your body, you’ll know when your sick or just need some extra rest.
5. Cultivate a hobby. Preferably something that doesn’t relate to your day job. Start by brainstorming your interests.
6. Eat good real food. Before you head out to the office, take time the night before or early in the morning to prepare a healthy breakfast and lunch. Real food includes fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
7. Make time with friends, family and your life partner. Doing work you love is extremely important, but so are the people who love you. Consider how you spend your time and what is truly important in life. When you are with your family, friends and life partner, really be there. Make an effort to be present.
8. Set aside time in your daily life to go outside. Spending time in nature is a great way reduce stress, disconnect from everyday worries and incoming work messages.
9. Stay away from your addictive device. It’s amazing what can happen when you step out from behind the computer screen or your mobile device.
10. Get enough Rest or Sleep. Staying up late to work on a project and then getting up at 5am to go into the office is not a good strategy. Lack of creativity, diminished morale and irritability are a few traits of people who go without sleep. Work smarter, not harder.
11. Make sure your working hours are consistent. For instance, if you work from 8am to 5pm make sure you leave the office by 5. Don’t stay late.

Securing a Website

2010-03-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

In a web environment, there is no point and click Anti Virus solution software. Once the website is done and up, you have to continue your efforts on protecting a website or your web server.

Here are tips on securing your website.

1. Piracy is never been good. Do not ever use Nulled Scripts and Themes. A nulled script or theme with a backdoor ensures that the hacker peddling it in the first place has gotten himself a free server to spam people with mails promising to enhance things that cannot be enhanced.

2. Read eBooks, blogs and other great resources. Keep yourself updated on the latest vulnerabilities, bugs and attacks on the Internet.

3. Look for scripts or plug-in that adds an extra later of security and installs them.

4. Add robots.txt file to give special instructions to search engine spiders as to which folders are to be indexed and which ones are not.

5. Specify the security restrictions for the particular directory by ensuring the presence of .htaccess file.

6. Restrict ROOT access to certain non system folders in the case of FTP uploads by people other than the system administrator.

7. If possible, used SFTP access when uploading files to your server for a full encrypted glory.

8. Check the file permissions on folders and files. A good permission would be 755 or 644.

9. Always have a password protection on your Database. An empty password is a criminal waste of an additional layer of security.

10. Have great and strongest passwords as possible. Use a combination of alphabets, numbers and special characters and make sure they are at least 10 characters long.

The future of web

2010-03-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

I just want to share this interesting video. Kelly discusses here his vision on the next 5,000 days of the web.

Enjoy!

Easy Restful PHP on RecessFramework

2010-02-24T06:56:00.000-08:00

I've been studying up and digging into this new found framework on PHP. For the benefit for an easy creation on RESTful APIs and easy PHP development, I began to read and learn more on Recess Framework for its promise designed to give me a delightful development experience.

For more info: visit: http://www.recessframework.org

The Difference between social network and community enabler. Revealed!

2010-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Social networking service -- focuses on building and reflecting of social relations among people...it is between you and what interests you -- people, activities...etc. Community enabler --- helps build a great community with delight attribution to be able to energize and enable people on the ground to do great work to be the best they can in the community -- not only feel engaged, excited, enabled, but to enjoy their interactions with the rest of the community. :) For a Cool Community Enabler: www.getwarp.com

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Good Day Everyone. I'll be posting more insights soon for the year 2-0-1-0.

Getwarp: We Enable Communities

2009-11-18T03:36:00.000-08:00

Getwarp is social technology platform that provides easy to use tools in building, creating and designing multiple customized websites that is fast, fun, scalable, interactive and social. It's meeting place in the web having full multimedia capability allowing users to have limitless interaction.

Visit getwarp.

For Software Engineers like me.

2009-09-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

We always struggle on meeting deadliest deadline goals. Then we always find ourselves fail and most especially "exhausted". These are the following tips I've realize and still trying to do.

1. I should always understand the problem no matter what. Since I am task to solve it.

2. Sometimes, I am overwhelm on how big my problem is. But breaking it down into smaller pieces ease mypath to finish everything.

3. I have to set and review milestones in every feature or module we have. Instead of putting timeline for everything as a whole, focusing on every feature helps alot.

4. I have to know the priority in every project that I have. Mostly, the highest priority is the most important.

5. I have no choice but to solve the problem. I have to try and try until we succeed.

6. I should take a great time to break, relax and have good sleep or rest. I have to remind myself that I have to balance everything because it will always give me overall performance.

7. I will always avoid interruptions by setting time for meetings, calls, and other activities.

8. I have to free myself on every distractions that may not give me focus on my work like noise, temperature, hunger and other factors.

9. I should not under commit or over deliver on projects. I will give realistic schedule and develop an estimation skill.

10. I should keep my code simple as possible and put comments that may help me and my colleagues know and understand what I am doing.

11. I will keep track on every task at hand maybe by writing notes on a piece of paper.

12. Lastly, I have to organize everything by using tools for easy and fast managing on tasks.

OpenID and Zend Framework

2009-09-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

What is OpenID?

OpenID is a set of protocols for user-centric digital identities. These protocols allows users to create an identity online, using an identity provider. This identity can be used on any site that supports OpenID. Using OpenID-enabled sites, users do not need to remember traditional authentication tokens such as usernames and passwords for each site. All OpenID-enabled sites accept a single OpenID identity. This identity is typically a URL. It may be the URL of the user's personal page, blog or other resource that may provide additional information about them. That mean a user needs just one identifier for all sites he or she uses. services. OpenID is an open, decentralized, and free user-centric solution. Users may choose which OpenID provider to use, or even create their own personal identity server. No central authority is required to approve or register OpenID-enabled sites or identity providers.

For more information about OpenID visit the OpenID official site.

How about Zend Framework?

Zend Framework (ZF) is an open source, object-oriented web application framework implemented in PHP 5 and licensed under the New BSD License.

How does OpenID implemented in Zend Framework?

Authentication is initiated by the end user, who passes their OpenID identifier to the OpenID consumer through a User-Agent.
The OpenID consumer performs normalization and discovery on the user-supplied identifier. Through this process, the consumer obtains the claimed identifier, the URL of the OpenID provider and an OpenID protocol version.
The OpenID consumer establishes an optional association with the provider using Diffie-Hellman keys. As a result, both parties have a common "shared secret" that is used for signing and verification of the subsequent messages.
The OpenID consumer redirects the User-Agent to the URL of the OpenID provider with an OpenID authentication request.
The OpenID provider checks if the User-Agent is already authenticated and, if not, offers to do so.
The end user enters the required password.
The OpenID provider checks if it is allowed to pass the user identity to the given consumer, and asks the user if necessary.
The user allows or disallows passing his identity.
The OpenID Provider redirects the User-Agent back to the OpenID consumer with an "authentication approved" or "failed" request.
The OpenID consumer verifies the information received from the provider by using the shared secret it got in step 3 or by sending an additional direct request to the OpenID provider.

Fast Website

2009-09-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

We all love fast websites and hate slow or too long to load websites. Obviously, most website surfers dislike about Websites that takes too long for the web pages to load. They all want us to:

1. optimize our pages
2. structure our sites for speed
3. minimize graphic bytes sizes
4. use Cascading Style Sheets
5. convert inline images to PNG

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

2009-09-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

We do all know that Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of computer security vulnerability typically found in web applications which allow code injection by malicious web users into the web pages viewed by other users. Examples of such code include client-side scripts. An exploited cross-site scripting vulnerability can be used by attackers to bypass access controls such as the same origin policy. Vulnerabilities of this kind have been exploited to craft powerful phishing attacks and browser exploits.

Now, how can we prevent from those attacks?

1. We have to escape (either locally or at the server) all untrusted data based on where those data are to be placed in the HTML document.

2. We have to validate all inputted values for all potentially malicious data sources.

3. We have to secure our cookies by tying session cookies to the IP address of the user who originally logged in, and only permit that IP to use that cookie.

4. We have to eliminate or disable the use of scripts like javascript or vbscripts when not in use or without the need for client-side scripts at all.

Web Usability Value

2009-09-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

We will explore and know the importance of usability on the web on this topic. The concept of value in a web site and looks at how creating usable Web pages as an integral part of creating valuable web page will be dug upon. The difficult thing we have to remember in the Nature of each users on the Web sites is their dynamic and predictable needs. Each visitors of the site has its own criteria that are egoistic or idiosyncratic. Satisfying each individual needs would be profoundly a foolish thing to do. So, we have to rely only on the "best guess" about the needs of a group of web users or what brings most users to most Websites. Maybe we shall have to consider the following:

1. Almost all web users wants information on the websites they visit.
2. Users are finding something in particular.
3. In this fast pace world, many users are in a hurry to get what they wanted.

Then we have to ask the following questions:

* Which is the most usable information to put in our Web site?

* Which is the most valuable information for our Web site?

* How much of the difference in value is a direct function of differences in usability?

After which, We can focus on these basic mechanical details:
1. compatibility
2. multi-mode navigational support
3. well-structured content,
4. serve to provide incremental enhancements to overall site value.
5. Speed
6. content-rich

Good Luck!

Free Web Hosting Panel

2009-09-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

I've been googling around for some easy and good web hosting panel for our web application. I configured and tested these three free web hosting panel with some personal comments:

1. EHCP - allows for the user to manage internet services, such as web servers, FTP servers, database servers, DNS servers. I love it but I hate it. Why? For me, for a free web software..it has all the needs that I wanted but it only runs with Ubuntu and other debian type Linux OS. Though there are contributors who help bring EHCP to other Linux flavors, still not good for CENTOS server where I am workin' on.

2. Ravencore - is an Open Source hosting control panel aimed at making the most robust, secure, and reliable hosting software. Great and simple but a lot of important features underdeveloped.

3. ISPConfig - manages webserver, mailserver, BIND DNS, proftpd + vsftpd FTP server, mySQL databases, spamassassin and diskquotas with an easy to use. I chose this control panel because of its active community and lots of resources. Though there are features that are lacking like bandwidth utilization and automation of web software script installation. I sweat out when I found out this error: Can't locate Date/Format.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /usr/lib64/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/x86_64-linux-thread-multi /usr/lib64/perl5/site_perl/5.8.7/x86_64-linux-thread-multi /usr/lib64/perl5/site_perl/5.8.6/x86_64-linux-thread-multi /usr/lib64/perl5/site_perl/5.8.5/x86_64-linux-thread-multi. I already installed all the perl modules required and are stated at the installation but only perl-TimeDate solves the problem. :)

CISCO EOS

2009-08-18T05:12:00.000-07:00

What is EOS? Actually, it is "goddess of dawn" in Greek mythology. But I'm not talking about this Greek God. I'm talking about Cisco EOS software platform. It has been developed specifically to aid media and entertainment companies in developing and maintaining large portfolios of content-rich, community-driven web experiences—each with their own unique and highly customized look and feel. For more information, you may visit their site at: http://www.cisco.com/web/solutions/cmsg/platform.html.

For a more cost effective counterpart: http://groupjump.com .

Internet of Things

2009-08-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

We all know about the Internet and of course about Things. Before we discuss about the Internet of Things, we shall first define these two terms:

Internet -- It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private and public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by copper wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless connections, and other technologies.

Things -- is an object, entity or a being. It is something that can have properties and bear relations to other objects.

So now, simply Internet of Things refers to a network of objects.

Imagine this! All objects or things in this world like cans, books, shoes, cars, refrigerators are all equipped with a mini computer device; then our planet will undergo a huge transformation. We will no longer monitoring about running out of stock and wasted products because our refrigerator or cabinet will tell us so. Not just that! These object are connected by fully integrating them to the Web... and so infinite of possibilities will occur.

All about PHP Framework

2009-07-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

What is PHP Framework?

PHP frameworks streamline the the development of web applications written in PHP by providing a basic structure for which to build the web applications. In other words, PHP frameworks help to promote rapid application development (RAD), which saves you time, helps build more stable applications, and reduces the amount of repetitive coding for developers. Frameworks can also help beginners to build more stable apps by ensuring proper database interaction and coding on the presentation layer. This allows you to spend more time creating the actual web application, instead of spending time writing repetitive code.

Why did I use a PHP Framework?

1. In this fast pace world wide web, speeding up the development process is one of the key to a successful application. I have save a substantial amount of time and effort because I reuse codes from various modules, applications or projects. Since framework offers pre-built modules for performing tedious coding tasks, I have enough time on developing the actual application rather than re-building the foundation with each and every project.

2. Stability is another big reason why I utilize framework. While simplicity is one of PHP’s greatest assets, and the reason many people prefer to use this scripting language, it can also be one of its biggest downfalls. With PHP the application will often times still work, but unknowingly you may have opened up a large security hole in your coding that may be susceptible to attacks. It’s important to remember that PHP is a very forgiving language, so it’s even more important to make sure to tie up any loose ends in your coding – even if the application seems to be working properly.

3. Finally, the availability of PHP frameworks is extensive, and there are many different frameworks to choose from. I can even create my own, although many developers elect to choose from any of the most well-known frameworks due to their popularity, large support teams, and their forums/communities that allow me to interact with other developers who utilize the same framework.

What are the Best PHP Frameworks Available?

1. The Zend Framework has a massive following amongst the development community and is focused on web 2.0 style applications. Because of their massive following, extensive support and active user base, Zend is referred to as “The PHP Company”. Zend is one of, if not, the most popular PHP frameworks available today. It has robust features that are built for corporate-level development, and it requires an extensive knowledge of PHP.

2. CakePHP is a great choice for beginners to advanced PHP developers. It’s based on the same principles that Ruby on Rails is designed around, and it’s heavily focused on rapid development – making it a great framework to be used for rapid application development. Its rapidly growing support system, simplicity, and scalability make CakePHP one of the most popular PHP frameworks available today.

3. Symfony is aimed more at advanced developers who’s main objective is to create enterprise-level applications – most notably Askeet and Yahoo! Bookmarks. This open source PHP framework is full of features and can do it all, but it’s main downfall is that it is a bit slower than other frameworks.

4. Codelgniter is well-known for its ease-of-use, performance and speed. Unlike Symfony, this PHP framework is ideal for shared hosting accounts or for when you want a framework with a small footprint. It offers simple solutions, and has an extensive library of video tutorials, forums, a user guide and wiki available for support. Beginners should consider using Codelgniter.

5. Seagull is a well-established PHP framework used for building web, command line and GUI apps. It is an extremely easy to use framework that is ideal for beginners to advanced coders. For beginners, Seagull features a library of sample applications that can be customized to fit your needs, and for experts, Seagull offers a host of options – including best practices, standards, and modular codebase – for building web applications quickly and easily. Seagull has an active developer community and plenty of support documentation in place as well.

Abottanaw.com powered by GroupJump Enterprise

2009-07-26T01:57:00.000-07:00

Abot Tanaw is a social media network that gives OFWs relief from the high-cost of keeping in touch with their families — in fact, the service is available for free. As Abottanaw.com as the official website, OFW are very much updated and reached anywhere in the globe. Abottanaw.com is powered by GroupJump -- a new kind of meeting place which is virtual space with full multimedia capability and where you can interact in real time. Recent news, photos, videos and other information for the OFW are kept updated everyday through the GroupJump CMS(Content Management System and RSS feeds.

GroupJump Enterprise powered myGibo.ph

2009-07-14T03:41:00.000-07:00

Gibo.ph has a section called “Volunteer” or myGibo.ph which is powered by GroupJump Enterprise where people can create a micro-site and participate in live chat and video conferencing, upload photos, and post on the shout-out box.

“Gibo” is the nickname of the 45-year-old defense secretary and three-term Tarlac congressman who is hoping to secure the administration party’s nomination.

It has features such as links to social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Friendster, Gibo.ph targets not only the youth but all sectors of society.

Visit www.myGibo.ph and participate in nation building.

Abot Tanaw Launching

2009-06-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

Abot Tanaw has just launch today June 10, 2009. Abot Tanaw offers free voice and video telephony services to OFWs. It has service hubs strategically located in various parts of the Philippines.

For more information, you may visit www.abottanaw.com.

Facebook: Username on the address bar

2009-06-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

I've been craving this for so long. If friendster, myspace, twitter and other social network have been allowing users to pick and choose their own vanity URLs; then why can't facebook have that feature? Anyway, they have just announce it and the "D" day will be this Saturday. Yeeeeppeeee!

Soon my old address:
will be:
Hopefully I'll be the first person to get it! What are the rules and regulations on getting your own vanity url? 1st: at least your new username shall have five characters. 2nd: the old school rule -- alphanumeric charaters (A-Z, 0-9) only and plus period or full stop. lastly: users can only choose a single new username/URL for their profiles and each of the Pages they administer.

Prepare your own username and get it first this Saturday! Good Luck!

New Release on Mozilla firefox

2009-06-09T00:43:00.000-07:00

The web browser has evolve into just one great application as years go by. Mozilla firefox as a key role player on the browser world, has greatly contributed well and continue to bring new features and improvements. Now, they have just release and introduce their new Firefox 3.5.

What's inside in their new box?

>> HTML 5 Support
>> Newly-supported CSS features
>> New DOM features
>> New JavaScript features
>> Networking
>> New Canvas features
>> New SVG features
>> Miscellaneous new features

To know more about Firefox 3.5, you may visit https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Firefox_3.5_for_developers.

Open Inviter

2009-06-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of social networking sites and cool web applications nowadays. Creating a new web application needs a good design, great user experience and a lot of users. To compete and get some users on your own sites needs a lot of sweat. But with Open Inviter you have an easy access to your visitors address book in all major email providers and social networks around the world. Know more about Open Inviter at http://openinviter.com/.

GroupJump.com recently uses Open Inviter to import and invite contacts or addressbook to all major email providers and social networks.

Google Chrome for Mac and Linux

2009-06-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

My favorite browser -- Google Chrome browser has finally release a version for Mac and Linux. Though it is geared towards developers and testers, not for general public, they have kept their promise. For those who are brave enough to download and try it on your Mac or Linux box, here is the link: http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/eula_dev.html?dl=mac.

Good Luck :)

Google Wave

2009-06-03T02:24:00.000-07:00

What is Google Wave? It is a new model for communication and collaboration on the web. There has been a battle for instant and real time communication and live collaboration on the web today. Does Google has its power and minds to take the lead and beat all odds on this great challenge? Learn more about the new product of Google as shown on youtube below:

You may also see GroupJump, a new kind of meeting place. We call this meeting place a 'Jumpsite™', which is virtual space with full multimedia capability where you can interact in real time.

Business Strategy Using Twitter

2009-06-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

Twitter has been widely use for creating tweets which help to fulfill a specific purpose and assure to interact widely by pro-actively engaging other users via replies or direct messages. Now, how can Twitter help businesses? Here is a simple diagram on how twitter can be used as part of a PR strategy. It shows the basic framework for how Twitter can and is currently used by savvy businesses.

Tweet Now! :)

Web 3.0

2009-05-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

We all heard about Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. We knew that Web 2.0 is all about social networking stuff. Everyone can be a publisher and can "of course" read information anywhere in the World Wide Web world. It was all an evolution from a read only Web 1.0. Now, how about the Web 3.0 Era? Authors, scientists and developers define it as:

1. The data can be access anytime and anywhere: "Open data".
2. If we have geniuses kid on the block, then we also have a smarter "Structured data" on the internet.
3. "Content Filtering": data is blocked or allowed based on analysis of its content.
4. "Real-time" interaction on users.
5. Changing of personal data to fit your own identity and taste -- "Personalization".
6. Mobile (location-based, so you could say that's smarter use of data too)
7. Internet of Things (the Web in real-world objects)

One great example would be: GroupJump.com which serves as a meeting place for individuals or groups allowing them to create their own world in the internet and make the internet an extension of their world by giving them an almost limitless possibility to interact with each other.

Manage Members on GroupJump

2009-05-20T03:17:00.000-07:00

Managing members on GroupJump.com requires only few clicks. By selecting any members on the list, you may delete, block and confirm easily.

Delete: members shall only be deleted on the current Jumpsite.
Confirm: jumpers who gladly join to the Jumpsite shall be confirmed and will officially be members of the Jumpsite.
Block: jumpers who are prohibited to be members on the Jumpsite. Q: Why not delete the member? A: The Jumper will eventually join again and again to the Jumpsite.

Terms:
Jumpsite: is virtual space with full multimedia capability where you can interact in real time. With features that can be infinitely changed and redefined, Jumpsites can be custom fitted to the specific needs of the users.

Jumpers: users of GroupJump who may be members or owners of any jumpsite.

Invite Friends on GroupJump.com

2009-05-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

We love to connect to our friends. GroupJump lets you invite friends through your gmail and yahoo account fast and easy. Try it out now: www.groupjump.com.

Jumpsite: New UI Design

2009-05-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

The all new Jumpsite of GroupJump.com has just been released. What is jumpsite? We call our meeting place a 'Jumpsite™', which is virtual space with full multimedia capability where you can interact in real time. With features that can be infinitely changed and redefined, Jumpsites can be custom fitted to the specific needs of the users.

You may see a sample site at : http://jumpers.groupjump.com.

Why do I love Google Chrome?

2009-05-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.

As the definition describes Google Chrome, simply I immediately fell in love with Google Chrome from the very first time I used it. What makes me crazy about this browser and a sudden shift occurs?

First, the powerful "Omnibox" -- Actually, it is the common address bar of any browser but you may search the web, has its history on the web, the sleek suggestion as you type. It is a One unified box indeed that serves all my browsing needs.

Second, the unusual "Tab" -- Unusual! because of its position unlike any other browsers in a computer box. I can create tabs quickly and easily create new window by dragging or gathering multiple tabs into one window. Now, the coolest and simplest thing I ever seen in any browser every time I open a new tab, the visual sampling of my most visited sites, my most used search engines, and recently bookmarked pages and closed tabs.

Third, "Bookmarks and Shortcuts" -- Without opening the Google Chrome browser, I can use web apps on shortcut keys. One click on the star icon at the left edge of the address bar and I'm done bookmarking my favorite site.

Fourth, "Crash Control" -- Simply Amazing! Why? This has been one of the edge of Google Chrome browser. When one of my app crashes down, It won't take anything else down.

Fifth, "Download Manager -- Neat. When downloading something on Google Chrome browser you will only see its status at the bottom of your current window.

Now, it is your time to experience the greatness of Google Chrome. You may download it at http://www.google.com/chrome/.

Grandstream VideoCall and MovieWatching

2009-05-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

We pause break for web technology topics and give way for a cool embedded system. Take a look on these videos and be amaze:

Making video call through grandstream:

Now for more cooler! Watching movies in a grandstream phone:

Portal

2009-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

I love portal sites. It is the gateway of diverse information put in a unified page. There are a lot of portal sites and I will be willing to show which I like most.

1. Yahoo.com

This is where I read daily news from all over the world and also check my emails.

2. Igoogle

Of course, the simplicity and the speed of google.

3. NetVibes.com

I should never forget this best personal portal page ever.

4. BBC.com

They have change their homepage recently. For me, it is a great move.

5. GroupJump.com

I just don't love this site. But I spend almost 24/7 on this...:)

Now, how to make portal site fast and easy? Here are frameworks or libraries that you may consider.

1. Extjs.com - http://extjs.com/deploy/dev/examples/portal/portal.html
2. Jpolite - http://www.trilancer.com/jpolite/
3. http://nettuts.com/tutorials/javascript-ajax/inettuts/

Imagine communication anywhere and anytime

2009-04-07T03:08:00.000-07:00

We all love chatting through web, texting through SMS on cellphones and talking to our friend through our landline phone. Communication is a vital role to each and every living human being here on our planet. Imagine this: communicate through your cellphone, landline phone, computer device and other communication tool anywhere and anytime. Save each conversation and hear it again anywhere and anytime. How is it sound to you? Well, let us see :) I believe this is so possible and it will be unified in a web platform.

Why I converted my project from using EXTJS javascript framework to JQuery

2009-03-14T01:38:00.000-07:00

First of all, EXTJS Javascript framework is indeed one of the best tool I ever used. It has high performance and easy customizable UI widgets. It is well designed, documented and extensible Component model. Lastly, it is open source! Though it has commercial licenses. So I really appreciate the framework and the guys behind it.
However, I converted all my scripts for one big reason: SPEED. EXTJS is so slow compare to Jquery. Yah yah yah...they have these build your own script kit, minimization and their CDN extjs library but honestly the speed of our web application is way too slow. So after testing one module to Jquery which is the main part of the whole application, waalaaahh... the speed of our application is now more faster with the same or much better functionality. One more thing I notice when I was coding, I really write less by doing more cool effects and functionality :). Now its your turn to try.

The New World --- WEB OS

2009-03-06T03:58:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking how possibly it is to see in the future where there will be no OPERATING SYSTEM on our Personal Computers. How fascinating it is to directly do our computer job directly to a web browser. Let us see :)

Joomla 1.0 Registration

2009-03-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

At last i've solved my problem on registration process on Joomla 1.0

Adding fields on registration form requires edition on registration.html.php, registration.php, joomla.php:

On registration.html.php, you may add any fields as you want for example:
input type="hidden" class="inputbox" maxlength="50" />

On registration.php:
$row->userflag = trim( $row->userflag );

Now here's the trick, you should not forget this! The joomla.php has initialization on all variables required on the registration process:

Just add:

var $userflag = null;

GroupJump.com

2009-02-24T01:10:00.000-08:00

Im so busy these past few days on the development of GroupJump.com. I'll write some stuff soon :)

7 All About Web Favorites

2008-12-04T00:57:00.000-08:00

I love researching, reading, exploring and blogging. Here are my inspirations and my daily dosage of web technology.

1. Sixrevisions.com

Six Revisions is a weblog the provides practical, useful information for the modern, standards-compliant web designer and web developer.

2. ReadWriteWeb.com

ReadWriteWeb is a blog that provides Web Technology news, reviews and analysis. It began publishing on April 20, 2003 and is now one of the most widely read and respected blogs in the world. It has around 250,000 RSS and email subscribers. ReadWriteWeb was founded by Richard MacManus and is written by a team of Web enthusiasts.

3. Digg.com/programming

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. From the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog, Digg surfaces the best stuff as voted on by our users.

4. SmashingApps.com

Free and useful resources for web designers and web developers.

5. Visual-Blast.com

Free web resources for designers and web developers | Free Icons, Tutorials, Scripts, Photoshop, CSS.

6. 1stwebdesigner.com

1stwebdesigner is a design blog dedicated to bloggers, freelancers, web-developers and designers. Topics focus on web design,graphic design, tutorials and inspirational articles.

7. webworkerdaily.com

Web Worker Daily was launched by GigaOM’s Om Malik in September 2006 and is written by a growing team of writers who cover the future of work in a post-broadband world.

10 PHP Open Source Project I Love

2008-11-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

I love PHP so much coz it is easy and it is evolving rapidly and widely. I can still remember how our class debate about ASP, JSP and PHP for the best dynamic web server side scripting. You all know what is widely use for web development and how many php open source projects from all over the world. Now it's time for me to show you my top ten PHP open source projects.

1. VTiger CRM
Well, if you know sugar crm then you may want to consider vtiger crm, very much a like to sugar crm.

vtiger CRM project provides an easy to install, industrial-strength, business-ready open source CRM. It provides rich UI, reports, multiple database-type support,sales-management,inventory-management,etc. You may visit their site: http://www.vtiger.com/

2. Collabtive
I first use dotproject for my project management. But when I know about collabtive and use it, I find it straightforward, neat and easy to use.

Collabtive is a collaborative software to get projects done.

Easy to use
Projects, milestones, taskslists, tasks
Basecamp import
Timetracking
Multilanguag

For more info: visti http://collabtive.o-dyn.de/?lang=en

3. PHPWebGallery

If you wanna show the world your favorite pics or your photo collections then you have to consider PHPWebGallery.
PhpWebGallery is a free and open source software used to present photo collections on your web site.
Their website is http://phpwebgallery.net/

4. OpenGOO
I believe they use Extjs for their javascript framework which is also I am using for my projects.

OpenGoo is an Open Source Web Office.

Web Office
It is a complete solution for every organization to create, collaborate, share and publish all its internal and external documents.

You and your team can create and collaborate on:

Text documents
Spreadsheets (coming soon)
Presentations
Task Lists
E-mails
Calendars
Web Links
Contacts

See their website : http://www.opengoo.org/

5. PHPmyAdmin
I think most PHP and MYsql developers use for their development. In my case, I usually use phpmyadmin for my projects to lessen typing of sql statements.

phpMyAdmin is a tool written in PHP intended to handle the administration of MySQL over the Web. Currently it can create and drop databases, create/drop/alter tables, delete/edit/add fields, execute any SQL statement, manage keys on fields, manage privileges,export data into various formats and is available in 55 languages.

phpMyAdmin resides at http://www.phpmyadmin.net.

6. Zen Cart

When it comes to ecommerce site development, I consider Zen Cart since I find it easy to configure and make changes.

Zen Cart™ truly is the art of e-commerce; free, user-friendly, open source shopping cart software. The ecommerce web site design program is being developed by group of like-minded shop owners, programmers, designers, and consultants that think ecommerce web design could be and should be done differently.
Some shopping cart "solutions" seem to be complicated programming exercises instead of responding to users' needs, Zen Cart™ puts the merchants and shoppers requirements first. Similarly, other shopping cart software programs are nearly impossible to install and use without an IT degree, Zen Cart™ can be installed and set-up by anyone with the most basic web site building and computer skills.
There are hundreds of shopping cart programs available, but none come close to offering the level of options, features and support available with Zen Cart™. Even the commercial programs have a hard time competing.

Home Page: http://www.zen-cart.com/

7. PHPBB
Here comes a widely use open source forum project. I have witness how PHPBB evolve from a simple forum to a highly customizable forum web application.

phpBB is a popular Internet forum package written in the PHP programming language. The name "phpBB" is an abbreviation of PHP Bulletin Board. Available under the GNU General Public License, phpBB is free software.

Watch live demo on their site: http://www.phpbb.com

8. Wordpress
When it comes to web blogging, no other project beats wordpress.

WordPress is a state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

More simply, WordPress is what you use when you want to work with your blogging software, not fight it.

Start blogging with: http://www.wordpress.org

9. Joomla
I first encounter the word "Content Management System" with Mambo. I forgot what happen to mambo but I suddenly shifted to Joomla.

Joomla is an award-winning content management system (CMS), which enables you to build Web sites and powerful online applications. Many aspects, including its ease-of-use and extensibility, have made Joomla the most popular Web site software available. Best of all, Joomla is an open source solution that is freely available to everyone.

Organization site : http://www.joomla.org/

10. Zend Framework
Of course, best framework I ever had... Indeed! the power of php "simplicity"

Extending the art & spirit of PHP, Zend Framework is based on simplicity, object-oriented best practices, corporate friendly licensing, and a rigorously tested agile codebase. Zend Framework is focused on building more secure, reliable, and modern Web 2.0 applications & web services, and consuming widely available APIs from leading vendors like Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, Flickr, as well as API providers and cataloguers like StrikeIron and ProgrammableWeb.

Read and use this framework: http://framework.zend.com

I thought 10 is enough, maybe I will extend this to twenty next time. chao :)

GroupJump hurdling the Semifinals Round of the 11th Philippine Web Awards!

2008-10-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

One of my project, GroupJump, joins the Semifinal Round of the 11th Philippine Web Awards.

As a semifinalist, the web site is also entitled to compete for the People’s Choice Awards, where the Web site receiving the most number of votes wins for each category. There are two ways to vote: online and via SMS. Voting period will run from November 10, 2008 until midnight of February 26, 2009. Winners will be announced on the Awards Night which will be held on February 27, 2009 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium Podium 4, Yuchengco Tower II, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

Support and Join GroupJump.com!

Limit on Zend Framework

2008-10-20T02:36:00.000-07:00

I found out that when I get a certain data with limit or paging when displaying it,
the data does not come out.

$select = $db->select()
            ->from(array('p' => 'products'),
                   array('product_id', 'product_name'))
            ->limit(10, 20);

I figured out that the limit method does not run at all. So I search for an
alternative and found out an interesting and useful one:

$select = $db->select()
            ->from(array('p' => 'products'),
                   array('product_id', 'product_name'))
            ->limitPage(2, 10);

What good about limitPage method is not only does it works for limiting display
of data but it's easy to change its paging status by just giving in the page number.
The method limitPage(x,y) requires the page number as the first argument and the
page length is the second argument.Both arguments are required; they have no
default values.

Widgets

2008-10-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

Since we have finish our first beta stage on Groupjump.com, we are now moving on improving and creating nice and great widgets for the users. We have been thinking of making widgets either on Javascript like google gadgets or Flex. Anyways, the two are great but we choose Flex over Javascript because of its slickness and data driven framework that makes it natural to implement MVCS. Flex is an open source framework for web applications. You may visit http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/ for more info.

GroupJump.com Finally at 2nd Beta Stage

2008-10-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

Groupjump.com is a social communication platform for business groups, community, organizations and other social groups. It uses Jumpsites like any other websites but it is widgetize and most of all it is highly customizable. Jumpsites are virtual spaces with full multimedia capability where you can interact in real time. With features that can be infinitely changed and redefined, Jumpsites can be custom fitted to the specific needs of the users.

Groupjump.com was first release on July 15,2008 with its cool features. With user's feedback, we have enhance it and make it better for the users and visitors.

Visit and Jump in to GroupJump.com and experience this new innovative and revolutionize web application.

For more info: visit http://www.groupjump.com/FAQ.

Ubuntu Networking

2008-09-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when I'm setting up my network preference using graphical interface on Ubuntu it does not change its configuration especially when I do static ip address. So I do it on the command line.

sudo vi /etc/network/interfaces

# The primary network interface
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.108
gateway 192.168.1.254
netmask 255.255.255.0
network 192.168.1.0
broadcast 192.168.1.255

Then, I do restart it:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

ExtJS Best for RIA

2008-09-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

Rich Internet Application is the trend on web software development because of its desktop-like capabilities and functionality while not having a bunch of disk space on the client PC. Creating such applications requires a wide range of knowledge on web technologies which includes the traditional HTML, CSS, Javascript, server side scripts and other components for web applications. Some RIAs use client-side scripts written in interpreted languages such as JavaScript and others uses java, Flash, CURL and Silverlight. In my case, I use Extjs Javascript library or framework to build rich internet application for most of my projects. The reason for that: its highly customizable, extensible code, most developer like (it has free license!) and most especially it is well documented. You won't need enough time to search and learn the library since it has a lot of resources and contributors. Here are some list:

Their own samples and demos -- arrange in all of its components supported
API Documentation with sample codes -- well organize for easy search
Community Learning Center -- shows all resources on learning Extjs which includes screencast, tutorials and manuals.
Extensions, plugins, themes -- user submitted extensions and themes
User Submitted plugin Repository -- collection of some Extjs user's plugin
Extjs Forum -- exchange of views, questions, answers, suggestions and comments
Saki's extensions, plugins and know-how -- one of Extjs contributor and active support
Extjs for JEE -- for java programmers
ExtJS based Wordpress Theme -- Extjs Wordpress for bloggers
ExtJs Extender controls -- Rodrigo Diniz 's extender controls
Extjs wrapper for PHP -- for developers who doesn't have enough time to learn JavaScript’s intricacies

For more info: visit extjs.com

Zend Framework and Extjs Framework

2008-09-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

I am really in love with these two great frameworks which are Zend PHP framework that helps me a lot on my server side scripting and Extjs Javascript framework that helps on my client side scripting. To integrate Extjs Framework and Zend Framework with each other using Model View Controller architecture, you will have to download extjs and place it on the public/extjs folder. There are a lot of cool examples at Sample and Demos page. They have a lot of resources and tutorials on their website which includes their API documentation, forum , contributor's websites and many more...

CRUD on ZEND Framework

2008-09-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

This is just a simple tutorial on basic operations: creating, reading, updating and deleting data in the database with the use of Zend Framework.

We will have four pages that all apply to person, we will group them in a single controller as four actions. We shall use the default controller and the four actions will be:

Page-->Home-->Add Person-->Edit Person-->Delete Person

Controller-->Index-->Index-->Index

Action-->Index-->Add-->Edit-->Delete

Setting up the Controller

Our controller class is called IndexController which is defined in tutorial/application/controllers/IndexController.php:

 class IndexController extends Zend_Controller_Action
{
    function indexAction()
    {
    }
    function addAction()
    {
    }
    function editAction()
    {
    }
    function deleteAction()
    {
    }
}

We have now set up the four actions that we want to use. Then next is the action:


URL                                          Action
 http://localhost/tutorial/                IndexController::indexAction()
 http://localhost/tutorial/index/add       IndexController::addAction()
 http://localhost/tutorial/index/edit      IndexController::editAction()
 http://localhost/tutorial/index/delete    IndexController::deleteAction()

Setting up the View

The file must be in a subdirectory that is named after the controller:
index/index.phtml

<html>
<head>
    <title><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></h1>
</body>
</html>

index/add.phtml

<html>
<head>
    <title><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></h1>
</body>
</html>

index/edit.phtml

<html>
<head>
    <title><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></h1>
</body>
</html>

index/delete.phtml

<html>
<head>
    <title><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></h1>
</body>
</html>

Testing each controller/action by navigating the urls shown earlier should display the four
titles in bold.

The Database

When setting up database configuration, it is best to have it on an external .ini file.
application/config.ini


[general]
db.adapter = PDO_MYSQL
db.config.host = localhost
db.config.username = root
db.config.password = 
db.config.dbname = personna

index.php


Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Controller_Front');
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Config_Ini');
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Registry');
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Db');
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Db_Table');
// load configuration
$config = new Zend_Config_Ini('./application/config.ini', 'general');
$registry = Zend_Registry::getInstance();
$registry->set('config', $config);
// setup database
$db = Zend_Db::factory($config->db->adapter,
                  $config->db->config->toArray());
Zend_Db_Table::setDefaultAdapter($db);
// setup controller

The Model

application/models/Person.php

Setting up the model for the person is easy as:
<?php
class Person extends Zend_Db_Table
{
protected $_name = 'person';
}

Now, we will have to edit the controller and the views to meet our CRUD application:

Listing Persons
IndexController.php


function indexAction()
{
    $this->view->title = "My Persons";
    $person = new Person();
    $this->view->persons = $person->fetchAll();
}

index.phtml


<h1><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></h1>
<p><a href="<?php echo $this->baseUrl; ?>/index/add">Add new person</a></p>
<table>
<tr>
     <th>Title</th>
     <th>Artist</th>
     <th> </th>
</tr>
<?php foreach($this->persons as $person) : ?>
<tr>
     <td><?php echo $this->escape($person->title);?></td>
     <td><?php echo $this->escape($person->artist);?></td>
     <td>
       <a href="<?php echo $this->baseUrl; ?>/index/edit/id/<?php
          echo $person->id;?>">Edit</a>
      <a href="<?php echo $this->baseUrl; ?>/index/delete/id/<?php
          echo $person->id;?>">Delete</a>
    </td>
</tr>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</table>

Adding New Persons

IndexController.php


function addAction()
{
    $this->view->title = "Add New Person";
    if ($this->_request->isPost()) {
        Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Filter_StripTags');
        $filter = new Zend_Filter_StripTags();
        $artist = $filter->filter($this->_request->getPost('artist'));
        $artist = trim($artist);
        $title = trim($filter->filter($this->_request->getPost('title')));
        if ($artist != '' && $title != '') {
            $data = array(
                'artist' => $artist,
                'title' => $title,
            );
            $person = new Person();
            $person->insert($data);
            $this->_redirect('/');
            return;
        }
    }
    // set up an "empty" person
    $person = new Person();
    $this->view->person = $person->createRow();
    // additional view fields required by form
    $this->view->action = 'add';
    $this->view->buttonText = 'Add';
}

add.phtml


<form action="<?php echo $this->baseUrl ?>/index/<?php
    echo $this->action; ?>" method="post">
<div>
    <label for="artist">Artist</label>
    <input type="text" name="artist"
        value="<?php echo $this->escape(trim($this->person->artist));?>"/>
</div>
<div>
    <label for="title">Title</label>
    <input type="text" name="title"
        value="<?php echo $this->escape($this->person->title);?>"/>
</div>
<div id="formbutton">
<input type="hidden" name="id" value="<?php echo $this->person->id; ?>" />
<input type="submit" name="add"
    value="<?php echo $this->escape($this->buttonText); ?>" />
</div>
</form>

Editing an Person

IndexController.php


function editAction()
{
    $this->view->title = "Edit Person";
    $person = new Person();
    if ($this->_request->isPost()) {
        Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Filter_StripTags');
        $filter = new Zend_Filter_StripTags();
        $id = (int)$this->_request->getPost('id');
        $artist = $filter->filter($this->_request->getPost('artist'));
        $artist = trim($artist);
        $title = trim($filter->filter($this->_request->getPost('title')));
        if ($id !== false) {
            if ($artist != '' && $title != '') {
                $data = array(
                    'artist' => $artist,
                    'title' => $title,
                );
                $where = 'id = ' . $id;
               $person->update($data, $where);
               $this->_redirect('/');
               return;
           } else {
               $this->view->person = $person->fetchRow('id='.$id);
           }
      }
  } else {
      // person id should be $params['id']
      $id = (int)$this->_request->getParam('id', 0);
      if ($id > 0) {
           $this->view->person = $person->fetchRow('id='.$id);
      }
  }
  // additional view fields required by form
  $this->view->action = 'edit';
  $this->view->buttonText = 'Update';
}

edit.phtml


<form action="<?php echo $this->baseUrl ?>/index/<?php
    echo $this->action; ?>" method="post">
<div>
    <label for="artist">Artist</label>
    <input type="text" name="artist"
        value="<?php echo $this->escape(trim($this->person->artist));?>"/>
</div>
<div>
    <label for="title">Title</label>
    <input type="text" name="title"
        value="<?php echo $this->escape($this->person->title);?>"/>
</div>
<div id="formbutton">
<input type="hidden" name="id" value="<?php echo $this->person->id; ?>" />
<input type="submit" name="add"
    value="<?php echo $this->escape($this->buttonText); ?>" />
</div>
</form>

Deleting an Person
IndexController.php


function deleteAction()
{
    $this->view->title = "Delete Person";
    $person = new Person();
    if ($this->_request->isPost()) {
        Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Filter_Alpha');
        $filter = new Zend_Filter_Alpha();
      $id = (int)$this->_request->getPost('id');
      $del = $filter->filter($this->_request->getPost('del'));
      if ($del == 'Yes' && $id > 0) {
           $where = 'id = ' . $id;
           $rows_affected = $person->delete($where);
      }
  } else {
      $id = (int)$this->_request->getParam('id');
      if ($id > 0) {
           // only render if we have an id and can find the person.
           $this->view->person = $person->fetchRow('id='.$id);
           if ($this->view->person->id > 0) {
               // render template automatically
               return;
           }
      }
  }
  // redirect back to the person list unless we have rendered the view
  $this->_redirect('/');
}

delete.phtml


<?php echo $this->render('header.phtml'); ?>
<h1><?php echo $this->escape($this->title); ?></h1>
<?php if ($this->person) :?>
<form action="<?php echo $this->baseUrl ?>/index/delete" method="post">
<p>Are you sure that you want to delete
  '<?php echo $this->escape($this->person->title); ?>' by
  '<?php echo $this->escape($this->person->artist); ?>'?
</p>
<div>
  <input type="hidden" name="id" value="<?php echo $this->person->id; ?>" />
  <input type="submit" name="del" value="Yes" />
  <input type="submit" name="del" value="No" />
</div>
</form>
<?php else: ?>
<p>Cannot find person.</p>
<?php endif;?>

Now, you may test and run it. Enjoy!

Unlimited Subdomain

2008-09-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Really? Actually, I am talking about Wildcarded DNS (*) on your own domain account. Setting it up would mean:

1. having * address on MX records
2. adding virtual host on your apache configuration (httpd.conf)

<VirtualHost ipaddress>
DocumentRoot "directory"
ServerName domainname
ServerAlias www.domain.com domain.com *.domain.com
</VirtualHost>

3. PHP version 3 or later
4. in some cases you may want to edit .htaccess

It is assume that you are using apache web server. You may test it by typing on the address bar on your web browser any subdomain name: http://anyvalidname.yourdomain.com

New Browser (Google Chrome)

2008-09-02T03:13:00.000-07:00

Google just announce their new product and I am amaze and excited about it. To know more about this new revolution and innovative browser, take a look : http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/.

Subversion (SVN) server on UBUNTU

2008-09-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

SVN is a useful tool for developers to maintain current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation. You can easily revert to previous revision to fix any bugs or in the event that someone accidentally deleted some files. It is best when you are working with a big and complex projects where in one module or file is handled by several developers. I use this daily in my projects so as to get away of the difficulty of combining files and getting and fixing buggy files.

Here are the steps to set up an SVN server:

sudo apt-get install subversion libapache2-svn
sudo svnadmin create /var/lib/svn
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/lib/svn
sudo chmod 770 -R /var/lib/svn
gksu gedit /etc/apache2/mods-available/dav_svn.conf

Uncomment the codes by removing the ‘#’ in front of the following lines:


<location>
…
DAV svn
…
AuthType Basic
AuthName “Subversion Repository”
AuthUserFile /etc/apache2/dav_svn.passwd
…
<limitexcept>
Require valid-user
</limitexcept>
</location>

If you have only one repository for your SVN, uncomment the following line:

SVNPath /var/lib/svn

Else if you are setting up multiple repositories, uncomment this line

SVNParentPath /var/lib/svn

sudo htpasswd2 -cm /etc/apache2/dav_svn.passwd yourusername
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

That's it... open up your browser to check if it is running well: http://localhost/svn

Useful parseInt on Javascript

2008-08-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

I was stack up on one part of my module when I want to display an array of result which is in json format. All values were displaying well except for one integer value on the database. I then was thinking that it was parse in as string on json, so I came up searching for a conversion from a string argument to an interger.

The syntax is:

parseInt syntax: parseInt( 'string' [, base] )

Free CSS Templates

2008-08-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

I am not a web designer so I usually download and edit free css templates for some of my project design. Here are the top CSS templates I usually use:

Loop on Json

2008-08-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Accessing the value on json seems like different with ordinary array. Here's how it is access:

var json = { "person": { "name": "juan dela cruz" } };

for (var m in json) {alert(json[m].name); }

My Top Favorite Javascript framework

2008-08-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Here are my top favorite javascript framework:

1. Extjs (http://extjs.com)
is a cross-browser JavaScript library for building rich internet applications. It includes:

* High performance, customizable UI widgets
* Well designed and extensible Component model
* An intuitive, easy to use API
* Commercial and Open Source licenses available

Extjs is my first choice when it comes to javascript implementation on my client side scripting. Especially when I will have to build huge project with so much interaction. It has a wide variety of small application that you may wanted to have in your web application. The documentation and support is clear and perfect.

2. JQuery (http://jquery.com/)
jQuery is a fast, concise, JavaScript Library that simplifies how you traverse HTML documents, handle events, perform animations, and add Ajax interactions to your web pages. jQuery is designed to change the way that you write JavaScript.

The nice thing I love about jquery is that it is too light and slick. I also love how they animate things out. I use this usually on small web projects that needs a little bit of Ajax Interaction or some animation on photos or other contents.

3. Mootools (http://mootools.net/)
MooTools is a compact, modular, Object-Oriented JavaScript framework designed for the intermediate to advanced JavaScript developer. It allows you to write powerful, flexible, and cross-browser code with its elegant, well documented, and coherent API.

Mootools is much like jquery. Simply powerful but it is also light and their documentation is complete and straight forward.

4. Scriptaculous(http://script.aculo.us/)
script.aculo.us provides you with easy-to-use, cross-browser user interface JavaScript libraries to make your web sites and web applications fly.

Actually, scriptaculous is an add-on to highly customizable protoype. It is also a lightweight framework and they've got a lot of resources inorder for you to learn fast and easily.

5. Prototype (http://www.prototypejs.org/)
Prototype is a JavaScript Framework that aims to ease development of dynamic web applications.

Featuring a unique, easy-to-use toolkit for class-driven development and the nicest Ajax library around, Prototype is quickly becoming the codebase of choice for web application developers everywhere.

This rich library will let you build your own classes or scriptlet in maintainable and organize way because of its class-driven development.

Web Optimization

2008-08-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

1. Reduce the number of HTTP Requests

Simplify page's design
Combine scripts and stylesheets into one single file
Combine your background images into a single image

2. Use Expires header

For static components: implement "Never expire" policy by setting far future Expires header
For dynamic components: use an appropriate Cache-Control header to help the browser with conditional requests

3. Compress with the Accept-Encoding header
configuring gzip depends on your version: Apache 1.3 uses mod_gzip while Apache 2.x uses mod_deflate.

4. CSS and Javascript

put CSS stylesheets at the top and make it external
put javascripts or other scripts at the bottom and make it also external
avoid CSS expressions
compress css and javascript files
avoid using filters like AlphaImageLoader
choose link over @import
use event delegation smartly on javascript
minimize DOM access

5. Put the buffer flush at the top

6. Optimize Images

convert gif to png
use optimizer tool like pngcrush for png images files and jpegtran for jpeg or jpg files
don't scale images
make favicon small and cacheable

7. Keep all component under 25K

Extra:
You may use Zend Optimize (http://www.zend.com/store/free_download.php). You may save it in your /tmp/ directory. Then, follow this configuration:

cd /tmp/
tar xvfz ZendOptimizer-2.5.7-linux-glibc21-i386.tar.gz
cd ZendOptimizer-2.5.7-linux-glibc21-i386/data/5_0_x_comp/
mkdir /usr/local/lib/Zend
mv ZendOptimizer.so /usr/local/lib/Zend/

Edit /etc/php.ini and add two more lines to the [PHP] section of the file at the beginning so that it looks like this:

[PHP]
zend_extension=/usr/local/lib/ioncube/ioncube_loader_lin_5.0.so
zend_extension=/usr/local/lib/Zend/ZendOptimizer.so
zend_optimizer.optimization_level=15

Installing Zend Framework on Ubuntu in 1 minute

2008-08-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

Why use framework? Frameworks and best practices mean reduced training costs and quicker time-to-market – important factors in adoption decisions. Built so you can pick and choose just the pieces you need to turbocharge your web applications, speeding new development and reducing maintenance.

Now, why I choose Zend Framework of all PHP framework like CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Symphony and others? Simply because of its simplicity, object-oriented best practices, and a rigorously tested agile codebase. Also, when I try installing and playing around with CakePHP and Zend Framework which are two top most rated php framework, I am more in love with Zend Framework. The documentation, installation, support and resources are much more clearer and abundant.

So let's start...

The first step is to download the software packages :

1. Xampp (http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html)
2. Zend Framework (http://framework.zend.com/download/index)

Installing Xampp (detail instruction on the site)

Go to a Linux shell and login as the system administrator root:
su
Extract the downloaded archive file to /opt:
tar xvfz xampp-linux-1.6.7.tar.gz -C /opt

Simple as that...

Installing Zend Framework (Model-View-Controller Architecture)

First, open up your httpd.conf on /opt/lampp/etc directory 'AllowOverride None' to 'AllowOverride All' in both the and sections. Once that is done, save the file and open up the 'Services Admin' window and restart Apache (Web server). That's it. URL rewriting should be enabled in Apache.
Second, on /opt/lampp/htdocs/(folder) directory the layout structure of folders and files should be this way:
/opt/lampp/htdocs/(folder)
----------- application
---------------- controllers
---------------- models
---------------- views
-------------------- filters
-------------------- helpers
-------------------- scripts
----------- library
----------------Zend
----------- public
---------------- images
---------------- scripts
---------------- styles
---------------- index.php
So open the terminal and type sudo mkdir –p application/views/scripts (the ‘-p’ parameter means 'parent' and will create the necessary parent directories if needed. You have to create the above-mentioned directory structure by doing the same sudo mkdir -p command.
Third, type sudo touch .htaccess on /opt/lampp/htdocs/. All ‘.htaccess’ files are for both URL-rewriting and security purposes. Type in vi .htaccess and enter the following:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule .* index.php
php_flag magic_quotes_gpc off
php_flag register_globals off

Fourth, create index.php file on /opt/lampp/htdocs/(folder)/public. Then enter the following:

// initial configuration
error_reporting(E_ALL|E_STRICT);
date_default_timezone_set('Asia/Manila');
set_include_path('.' . PATH_SEPARATOR . '../library'
. PATH_SEPARATOR . '../application/models/'
. PATH_SEPARATOR . get_include_path());

include "Zend/Loader.php";
Zend_Loader::loadClass('Zend_Controller_Front');

// setup controller
$frontController = Zend_Controller_Front::getInstance();
$frontController->throwExceptions(true);
$frontController->setControllerDirectory('../application/controllers');

// run!
$frontController->dispatch();

That's it!

To test our installation:

Go to /opt/lampp/htdocs/(folder)/application/controllers then create a IndexController.php file with the following code:

require_once 'Zend/Controller/Action.php';
class IndexController extends Zend_Controller_Action {

function indexAction() {
$this->view->title = "Hello World!";
}
}

Then on /opt/lampp/htdocs/(folder)/application/views/scripts/index folder create an index.phtml file with the following code:

<?php echo escape($this->title); ?>

Lastly, open up your browser and point it at 'http://localhost/(folder)'. If everything
went well, you should see a blank page with a "Hello World!" header.

Replacing forward slash on javascript

2008-08-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

Simple str.replace(/\//g,'@slash'); doesn't work at all. It comments out the succeeding character. So, I search google for an answer to solve such little problem I have but unfortunately there was none. Until, I keep on experimenting and arriving a solution with this: var forwardslash = str.replace(new RegExp('/','g'),"@slash"); .

Free Softwares to Build Web Application

2008-08-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

My career life spin around creating web applications. Creating great web application needs a lot of time, effort and money. I have enough time and effort but I don't have enough money. The solution to it is getting a free software tools to build the same great web applications. These are the following free softwares I use everyday:

1. Ubuntu Linux (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download)
it is absolutely free for human beings. Indeed it is "for human beings" since the word ubuntu loosely translated as "humanity". It is based on the Linux Kernel and it has been always been rated as the most popular Linux distribution and Debian derived Linux-based operating system.

2. Xampp (http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html)
Since it is hard to install Apache, Mysql and PHP on linux box, Xampp is best and easy to install Apache distribution containing MySQL,Apache, and PHP. XAMPP is really very easy to install and to use - just download, extract and start.
- Apache (http://httpd.apache.org/)
The Apache HTTP Server Project is an effort to develop and maintain an open-source HTTP server for modern operating systems including UNIX and Windows NT. The goal of this project is to provide a secure, efficient and extensible server that provides HTTP services in sync with the current HTTP standards.
- PHP (http://www.php.net/)
PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML.
- MySQL (http://www.mysql.com/)
The MySQL® database has become the world's most popular open source database because of its consistent fast performance, high reliability and ease of use.

3.GIMPshop (http://www.gimpshop.com/)
GIMPshop is a modification of the free/open source GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), intended to replicate the feel of Adobe Photoshop. Its primary purpose is to make users of Photoshop feel comfortable using GIMP. Though it is difficult to use but it has important usable features to manipulate images.

4. ExtJS javascript framework (http://extjs.com/)
Ext JS is a cross-browser JavaScript library for building rich internet applications. This library helps me a lot to speed up things especially on the client scripting side.

5. Zend PHP framework (http://framework.zend.com/)
Zend Framework is based on simplicity, object-oriented best practices, corporate friendly licensing, and a rigorously tested agile codebase. Zend Framework is focused on building more secure, reliable, and modern Web 2.0 applications & web services, and consuming widely available APIs from leading vendors like Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, Flickr, as well as API providers and cataloguers like StrikeIron and ProgrammableWeb.
Frameworks and best practices mean reduced training costs and quicker time-to-market – important factors in adoption decisions. Built so you can pick and choose just the pieces you need to turbocharge your web applications – all your developers know where to find their PHP / Zend Framework code, speeding new development and reducing maintenance costs.

6. Aptana Studio (http://www.aptana.com/)
Studio is Aptana’s free, open source Ajax development environment. With over a million downloads, developers all over the world are discovering why Aptana Studio is the leading choice of web professionals everywhere. It has also plug ins to extjs javascript framework and zend php framework which I also use to speed up my coding time.

7.Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/)
is simply amazing popular web browser. Choose from over a thousand useful add-ons that enhance Firefox. It’s easy to personalize Firefox to make it your own.

8.FileZilla (http://filezilla-project.org/)
FileZilla is a fast FTP and SFTP client.I use this to transfer files to other client computers or server computers.

Others:
XML - is a general-purpose specification for creating custom makup languages.
Json - short for JavaScript Object Notation, is a lightweight computer data interchange format. It is a text-based, human-readable format for representing simple data structures and associative arrays (called objects).
XHTML - is a markup language that has the same depth of expression as HTML, but also conforms to XML syntax.
CSS - a language useful in describing the style of document presentations in web development.
FireBug - extension for Mozilla Firefox allows the debugging, editing, and monitoring of any website's CSS, HTML, DOM, and JavaScript, and provides other web development tools. Firebug's official website has a complete guide to what it can do.
Web Developer Mozilla Plugin - Adds a menu and a toolbar on firefox web browser with various web developer tools.

That's all folks! :)