Posted in webdev on 04/12/2008 01:16 am by nuno 
I’ve playing around with the Google Maps API and I like it. Well documented, with nice examples. The question is: what’s the next step? How can I create value from it? :)
I’ve noticed a little tiny annoying bug: if you want to have more than one map with directions, you have to put them in the same table! If you close the table tag, only one of the maps will be enable! The other one will be an empty, grey google map. (Some technical details: 1 – I don’t like to be forced to use table; 2 – I don’t understand… the map is identified in the DOM structure: why do I need to create a parent called table?; 3 – only one table tag? how can I put text or other elements, with putting them in table rows?!; 4 – how can I control the ajax request? try to write china and wait a couple of minutes for the result…)
Posted in webdev on 04/01/2008 12:51 am by nuno I’ve been digging for a long time in this framework: CakePHP. Nothing new here, I just wanted to shout that I love working at the bakery!
After many projects in web apps, mainly using PHP, I’ve noticed the huge amount of time that any developer spends creating support structures – such as: database connection, reading/writing data, form validation, basic string functions, etc. A framework can reduce this waste of time, letting you focus on what really matters: user interaction, services and data.
The most famous framework, nowadays, is Ruby on Rails, which combines multiple programming paradigms and fits like a glove in agile software development models. Includes nice features as scaffolding (so damn cool!), Active Record, MVC structure (so KISS!!), etc. Cool, huh? Maybe at first sight… I’ve spent much time trying to read the RoR Bible, but I get quite lost in Ruby’s details. Good framework, complex language.
The founders of CakePHP took the RoR concepts and created a whole new framework, combining the best features from both worlds. Since I prefer to read (and write) in PHP, they’ve created something highly useful for me. Combined with the traditional web dev artillery, there is a plugin for syntax highlighting and the other old buddy for content upload. For the skeptics, here is the traditional demo: how to setup a blog in less than 15 minutes.
EDIT: However… I hate when they change the API. That’s why they call it “beta”… :)