SELECT FLOOR(7 + (RAND() * 5));

However, when considering overhead, this is a rather expensive method to employ. This becomes glaringly apparent when dealing with large datasets.

One effective solution is to select the first and last ids, and let PHP generate the random integer (id).  Then, simply select the record using the random integer.

public function getRandomRecords()
{
	// Select the first id in the target table
	$statement = $this->db->prepare("SELECT some_id
	  FROM table_name
	  ORDER BY some_id ASC LIMIT 1");
	$statement->execute();
	$lowest_id = $statement->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

	// Select the last id in the target table
	$statement = $this->db->prepare("SELECT some_id
	  FROM table_name
	  ORDER BY some_id DESC LIMIT 1");
	$statement->execute();
	$highest_id = $statement->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

	$records_array = array();

	while(true)
	{
	  // Generate a random integer
	  $random_id = rand( $lowest_id['some_id'], $highest_id['some_id'] );

	  // Check to see if the record exists
	  $statement = $this->db->prepare("SELECT col_one, col_two, etc...
		FROM table_name
		WHERE some_id = {$random_id}";
		$statement->execute();
		$result = $statement->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

	  // If it exists, add it to the array
	  if($result)
	  {
	    $records_array[] = $record;
	  }

	  $i++;

	  // If the array contains 5 records, stop
	  if(count($records_array) == 5)
	  {
	    break;
	  }
	}

	return $records_array;
}

<param name="wmode" value="opaque">

First Mistake

For my testing, I used a small subset of the data… weighing in at a measly 24 records.

Initially, all of my tests ran quite nicely. Then I decided to throw the complete (1 GB) XML file at it. Epic fail… I mean, it ran well for a while, but eventually ran out of memory. (And, yes… I did increase the memory_limit* to 1.5 GB and max_execution_time* to 5 hours.) I feared this may happen.

The problem with utilizing DOMDocument on large XML files is that it loads the data into an array. While parsing, that array is growing. Not good when you’re dealing with massive XML files.

With this fail under my belt, I went back to the drawing board. Knowledge is power… knowledge is power… knowledge is power.

My Next Move

XMLReader. From the PHP website: ”The XMLReader extension is an XML Pull parser. The reader acts as a cursor going forward on the document stream and stopping at each node on the way.” OK, sounds considerably more promising.

And Survey Says, Ding!

$file = "PATH_TO_FILE";

$reader = new XMLReader();

$reader->open($file);

while( $reader->read() )

{

// Execute processing here

}

$reader->close();

After that, it was gravy. Well, aside from the additional logic that had to go into it. That’s easily a topic all of it’s own, perfect for perhaps a “Part 2″ of this post. No promises though… unless, of course, incoming requests prompt for more information!

* How to modify PHP’s “memory_limit” and “max_execution_time” on a per script basis

// Tweak some PHP configurations
ini_set('memory_limit','1536M'); // 1.5 GB
ini_set('max_execution_time', 18000); // 5 hours

Through a little research, I found it’s possible. Here are the steps:

vi ~/.ssh/config

Add:

Host myalias
Hostname my.real.hostname
User myusername

Save and close (shift + ZZ)

Set the permissions:

chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config

Test it:

ssh myalias

Too cool… posting to WordPress from my Android phone! For my first post, a random photo from my phone.

Prevue is a webapp that lets you easily and quickly share design concepts with clients.

Today, I discovered Prevue (@prevueit) through a posting on Twitter, via @smashingmag. I followed the link and was immediately drawn-in by Prevue’s pleasing and thoughtfully planned-out website layout. I was so compelled, that I decided to sign up for an invite. I had no expectations of a speedy reply. However, 15 minutes later, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an invite in my inbox.

I set up my account, logged in, and was impressed yet again. The sheer ease of adding content is astounding. One word: intuitive. Within 30 minutes, I had set up my “portfolio” and posted 30 works from my archives.

Hats off to Prevue for nailing the UI and overall user experience! Thanks for your service and hard work… I’m really going to enjoy this.

“Prevue is a free concept sharing tool for designers.” Prevue.it website

Smashing Magazine’s website

Microsoft Word. A necessary evil... shame, shame.

About a month ago, we ran into a problem with hyperlinks in a Microsoft Word document. Wait! What? H-y-p-e-r-l-i-n-k-s? Yup. The most basic operation known in the history of the internet; the fundamental building block for information sharing in today’s technological landscape.

So, we decided to build a function in a web application which outputs a Microsoft Word document complete with links. Here’s the kicker. When we finally succeeded in generating the Word document, we opened it and tried the links. This produced some weird results and basically failed when linking back to our web application.

OK, here’s the deal. Have you ever noticed that whenever you click on a link in a Microsoft Word document, a status bar appears at the bottom of the document window? Have you ever wondered what in the world it’s doing? I have, but never pursued finding out.

As it turns out, Microsoft Word first sends the request to one of Microsoft’s servers. Then, Microsoft’s server sends the request back to the intended location. The problem is that it sends the request back, which is now originating from Microsoft’s server, void of any session data. So, if the end-user is logged in with established session data, good luck in successfully routing the user to the target… at this point, the request is coming from another user-agent.

So, here’s what we had to do in PHP to remedy this rather perplexing situation:

if(stristr($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'], 'Word'))
{
die();
}

One can only speculate what Microsoft is doing with all of these requests. For some reason, I’m leaning towards the word “harvest”. I surely hope this helps and saves time for anyone who runs into this issue! Microsoft #fail.

Rick's Fish & Pet Supply Website

Actually, this was a team effort. The visionary was my wife, Julia. I just helped with some of the heavier technical aspects. There’s more to be added to the website. This is just Phase 1. Visit Rick’s Fish and Pet Supply’s Website

Aptana, Dreamweaver, Coda, and Netbeans... which is right for you?

For years, I’ve been looking for the optimal IDE for PHP programming. That’s why, for years, I’ve been using Dreamweaver. There simply wasn’t anything else better out there.

The number one show-stopper has been the ability to upload on save via FTP and SFTP. Dreamweaver has offered this seemingly rudimentary functionality for years. In addition, Dreamweaver has always had the capability to view remote files, in a split window, alongside local files.

Then, I tried Coda. Not bad, but too basic for my tastes… almost dumbed-down. BUT then… there was Netbeans! Very promising, but no ability to see remote files. Back to Dreamweaver.

I will say that I use TextMate on a daily basis. It’s fast, elegant, and somewhat basic… albeit, no file transfer.

In comes Aptana. This IDE packs a punch, with features geared more towards hard-core developers… and… it’s FREE! Out of the box, there’s no built-in “upload on save” functionality. However, there is the capability to add scripts and plugins. Aptana includes the script (upload_current_file_on_save.js), but it must be altered before use.

Here’s how:

• Edit the following script:
  /PATH TO APTANA STUDIO ROOT DIRECTORY/configuration/org.eclipse.osgi/bundles/61/1/.cp/scripts/upload_current_file_on_save.js
• Add the following line to the top, IN the comment area, WITH the asterisk in place (I know, weird):
  * Listener: commandService().addExecutionListener(this);
• Restart Aptana… now it will upload the file on save. w00t!!

So, move over Dreamweaver, Coda, and Netbeans. I truly believe Aptana is on its way up the ladder… to become the premier web development IDE. (It’s long overdue!)

Awesome lemonade sign in Ocean City, Maryland

Some photos from our recent trip to Ocean City, MD. Rainy? Yes. Nonetheless, we had a great time!