php|architect magazine (article: If PHP Had a Flux Capacitor) - May 2010
What would I do differently if I could talk to myself way back when? Over the years of studying
software engineering and developing PHP skills, have you ever asked yourself the question:
If I could talk to my younger self, when I was starting out, knowing what I know now, what would I say?
I think this is a question that we all may ask ourselves from time to time; at least it's a sentiment
that I hear and feel often enough.
So with that, I decided to compile some advice on what I think are the important aspects of developing great software, as if I could talk to my younger self. This article will help aspiring, young PHP developers develop their skills quickly, learn proper design skills (don’t just focus on the code); have great mentors and a great network of contacts; use great tools and have excellent resources and code documentation. Hopefully, this will help them avoid going down dead-end streets and wasting countless hours on their journey to PHP mastery.
ibuildings TechPortal (article: Writing a Custom Magento Module) - April 2010
The aim of this tutorial is to provide a good reference guide to keep with you when developing custom modules with ecommerce solution Magento. It details some of the key sections of how to build a custom Magento module, some of the concepts, assumptions and key points that that you are likely to encounter on a regular basis when building ecommerce installations with this software.
While Magento does not have a great reputation for documentation, there are some good resources available, including the Magento Wiki and php|architect’s Guide to Programming Magento. I used both of these when working for Session Digital as part of Ibuildings and I highly recommend them to you, along with the Magento Forums. Looking through these splintered resources can be time-consuming so in this article I give you the key details when building a module in Magento.
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