A PHP Interface For Cloud Services: Simple Cloud API

Umut M. — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:10:04 +0000

As the number of cloud storage services increases & projects may require using multiple services at the same time, it becomes complicated for a developer to learn the details of each provider.

Simple Cloud API is an open source project that aims to create a common PHP interface for using cloud services.

It currently supports the storage API for:

Amazon S3
Windows Azure Blob Storage
Nirvanix
Local

and, in the near future, aims to support Rackspace Cloud Files, GoGrid Cloud Storage besides the queue & document APIs of all services.

The project is backed by Zend & supported by IBM, Microsoft, Rackspace, Nirvanix, and GoGrid.

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Tags: Cloud, Php, Zend

100% Web-Based Working For Web Designers

Umut M. — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:45:49 +0000

Web applications are offering an almost desktop-like functionality parallel to the increase in the connectivity speeds, wider usage of the cloud (easier scalability) & improvements in JavaScript/RIA development.

Also, moving to the cloud is no more a fantasy, it is the "current & future trend" considering the popularity of applications like Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat Online or web-based OSs.

As a web designer/developer, it is possible not to use any desktop softwares & work 100% web-based.

There are several tools that we use daily & has vital importance:

IDE (code editor)
Image editor
Database manager
FTP application
Storage

Although desktop environment, clearly, has many advantages over web, web has an important one like working from any computer (even it is a weak one) & staying synchronized.

Here are free web applications that you can use to create your own web-based design/development environment:

Code Editing

PHPanywhere

This web application offers a desktop-like coding environment with features like:

multiple projects
built-in FTP explorer
syntax highlighting
undo-redo support
& more.

There are also features like tabs, find-replace or auto-completion that we could expect from a desktop IDE.

Bespin

Bespin, an open source project by Mozillla Labs, is a web-based code editor created with HTML 5 technology.

It has a built-in file browser (not FTP) & a collaboration feature where multiple users can work on the same document.

It is not a complete IDE yet but very promising.

CodeRun Studio

CodeRun Studio is a mature platform for easily developing, debugging & deploying web applications using a browser.

It has support for multiple languages (C#/.NET 3.5, PHP 5.1, JavaScript, HTML and CSS). There is also SQL Server 2005 & Amazon SimpleDB support.

Using the application, multiple projects can be managed.

Kodingen

Kodingen is a full-featured online web development platform that enables individuals or teams to work on projects.

It is possible to define unlimited projects and FTP accounts to connect to any server.

There are also other projects like:

ecoder – (see WRD post)
Ymacs (an Emacs-like editor)
AmyEditor

Image Editing

Few weeks ago, a post at WRD was sharing 5 amazing online image editors & why to use them. Let's remember them:

Sumo Paint

A very impressive application that looks & functions so similar to Photoshop.

It has support for layers, filters & provides some geometric shapes that you'll be surprised to see what can be created using them.

Some other great online image editors are:

Also, there are other applications that are focused on specific functions like:

Database

phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is probably the most popular MySQL management tool.

It supports most of the MySQL features & database/table/record adding-updating-deleting is a breeze.

It can export/import data using multiple formats like SQL, XML, CSV & can create PDF graphics of your database layout.

Adminer (see WRD post)

Adminer is a one-file MYSQL management application that is built with PHP.

Besides standard features, it can display processes & enables you to kill them.

Other web-based MySQL managers include:

MySQL-Sidu (see WRD post)
Mysql Ajax Table Editor – (see WRD post)
SQL Buddy (see WRD post)

phpPgAdmin

A phpMyAdmin-like application for PostgreSQL databases.

It can administer multiple servers, supports almost every database feature & import/export using multiple formats.

FTP

net2ftp

An open source PHP application which functions as a web-based FTP client.

It can connect to any server, navigate through files, upload-download-copy-move-delete-rename them & view the contents with syntax highlighting.

net2ftp can also copy-move files to a 2nd ftp server or zip/unzip them.

eXtplorer (see WRD post)

eXtplorer is a PHP file manager script that can optionally connect to FTP servers.

It can accomplish every file/folder function, zip/unzip them & offers a user management system for enabling permission-based access to files.

F->IT (see WRD post)

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This open source application works very similar to Windows Explorer with drag'n drop support.

It has syntax highlighting & offers multiple file uploads.

Some of the other web-based FTP applications are:

Storage

Storage is a little tricky as the services are either paid or limited free versions of the paid ones. However a limited free version is mostly enough to store data for multiple web design/development projects

Do you use other web-based services/applications that ease your daily web design/developments tasks?

And, do you think it is efficient for a web designer/developer to work 100& web-based?

Please share your thoughts with the community.