> -----Original Message----- > From: Manuel Lemos [mailto:mlemos@phpclasses.org] [snip] > > Hello, > > On 09/11/2004 12:07 AM, scottm316 wrote: > > HI > > so I'm new to phpclasses.org and I think it's a great resource. My PHP > > is limited but I'm well versed in programming. My main language is > > Coldfusion but have been building sites for friends as a hobby in PHP > > (believe it, hehe). I wanted to know the answer to the following > > question before i joined the yahoo group and saw the poll which you > > cannot see the results to until the vote is over....just exactly how > > many of you DO use PHP in a production environment? > > We've built quite a number of business platforms, i.e. for the entire busienss admin and e-commerce to be managed online and simple e-commerce systems. At the moment its all using proprietory PHP code because we made a huge investment of time and effort into building functional libraries and classes from 2000-2002 in PHP4 - going forward I can see us using more open-source stuff and PEAR, especially as we move to PHP5. We also extensively use Zend products to accelerate and encode php we don't want our competitors to get their hands on when our code goes on other peoples servers. Recent projects... basketbox a simple, yes - you guessed it, basket that's easily set-up and integrated with payment providers - We just set-up a simple e-commerce solution for Bryan Ferry www.bryanferry.com - click "shop" One of the most successful has been www.truthintravel.com an online magazine written by a famous guy in business travel journalism. > > I'm about to start a huge project but i'm gonna do it in coldfusion no > > matter what. But what about the possibilities? Looks like there's tons > > of usable classes on this site - in PHP. > > > > CAN I HEAR COMMENTS ABOUT YOU PERSONALLY PRODUCING A SITE THAT SELLS A > > MASSIVE AMOUNT OF SERIOUS PRODUCTS LOCALLY? The site I am building for > > sells oil, and it's in an oil-rich area, Alberta, Canada. Never sold oil. But we have a client that sells gifts - locally to its existing customer base and all over the UK. They're growing steadily and the whole thing is in PHP with PostGreSQL using our Catalyst e-Shop system - see www.mattersolutions.com/catalyst for a link to the client and about our software. > > I think you question is not about PHP nor programming in general. It > seems to be about the Web as means to put up a business. Then, whether > PHP is a capable language to implement a Web based business, that is a > different story. It think it does not depend on PHP but rather on the > business itself. > > Given that, my answer is I don't know. It depends. I think you need to > put up a business plan and and make a serious risk evaluation. You may > end up realizing that the business is not viable, or even that it may be > viable but the Web is just one of several means to your ends. > > This means that you need to put the business plan to together and figure > its viability even before you consider the Web or any kind of software > development to assist your business. > With the ease of performing market testing using web technologies e.g. PHP/MySQL, relative to the past when you'd have to set-up a physical outlet and/or call centers to reach potential customers and given the right marketing skills and technical talent you should be able to determine whether a market exists for a reasonably low fee. For business managers to remember the "Bigger Picture": even if this test project fails then business owners and all participants will have learnt lessons - Its a true failure is if they don't! But if the market test is a success then you can go ballistic and spend even more of the services you technical system can perform and again web technologies are great for doing this scaling up. If you do the market test right, i.e. modular OO design, you can just build on from what you already have. BTW scottm31, We're currently building a site for a client to target British people living abroad - Canada is one of our markets so do you (or any of you PHP guys) know any web sites, newspapers or magazines that might be focused on them? We have loads of publications for foreigners like that in London. I know this is a bit off topic - so please email me direct. Cheers, Ben @ Matter Solutions http://www.mattersolutions.com/ > -- > > Regards, > Manuel Lemos > > PHP Classes - Free ready to use OOP components written in PHP > http://www.phpclasses.org/ > > PHP Reviews - Reviews of PHP books and other products > http://www.phpclasses.org/reviews/ > > Metastorage - Data object relational mapping layer generator > http://www.meta-language.net/metastorage.html > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/saFolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> PHP Data object relational mapping generator - http://www.meta-language.net/ Yahoo! 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