04
Wed, Dec
6 New Articles

TechTip: Additional PHP Tools—BCD Software

Scripting
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

So far, we’ve talked only about Zend and its family of products. But is that all there is? The answer is “no,” and this month we’ll look at what BCD Software has to offer if you’re dabbling in PHP.

 

I know, I know. Last time we talked I promised to continue on with the debug, but by now you know that my attention wanders. To be perfectly honest, I run Zend Studio on a Mac, and there seem to be one or two issues with the most recent update to Studio for that platform. Shouldn’t take long to resolve, but I need to write an article now, so let’s talk about something else until I get clear.

 

What we’ll do today is look at what another provider, BCD Software, brings to the PHP banquet on the IBM inamely, the WebSmart suite of products.

 

WebSmart

Contrary to what I may have led you to believe so far, Zend is not the only game in town when it comes to PHP. True, they’re the big dog so to speak, but there are some other companies that bring real value to PHP on the i, and BCD is one of these.

 

The base PHP-oriented product for BCD is called WebSmart, and it consists of two components.

 

  • First, there is an IDE, similar to Zend Studio.
  • And second, it offers a pretty comprehensive set of PHP templates for those who are not PHP gurus but need to get something up and running quickly.

 

The result is a product that allows you to develop your own scripts from scratch, but if you’re not quite ready for that, it allows you to use fully customizable templates to give you a leg up.

 

The Cost

Of course, one of the first things you’re wondering is, what is the cost? And that’s something I can’t tell you. It’s not that I’m rude; I just don’t know. And yes, I did ask, but BCD would prefer to pass along that kind of information to you directly. What I do know is that pricing is by the seat and extends anywhere from the two-seat minimum to an unlimited-seat option.

 

Fortunately, BCD offers a free 30-day trial so that you can get a feel for the product before you invest. Unlike Zend, however, there’s no “free” ongoing license option. That makes sense to me, though, because of the templates. If it was just an IDE, then maybe you could feel bad, but the templates are something you should have to pay for.

 

The Product

The software, of course, can be downloaded directly from the BCD site and consists of two pieces: one for your i and one for the PC you’re working from.

 

Part of it goes on the inamely the templates, the associated style sheets and skins, plus some special JavaScript files that do some of the cool things JavaScript does. All of this is loaded into the IFS and will be used from there.

 

The second piece is the IDE per se, and that goes on your Mac, Windows, or Linux environment.

 

What you may have noticed is that nowhere have I said anything about the PHP stack or set of software that is required to run PHP on the i (because even though PHP runs on the i, it’s not native to the i). And as it turns out, neither of these pieces of the WebSmart Suite provides PHP stack support. The truth is, WebSmart is designed to run using Zend Server to provide the PHP environment. That is, you may set up your script in the WebSmart IDE, but it will be the Zend engine in Zend Server that really makes it run.

 

And when I say it’s designed to run using Zend Server, I’m talking on the i. You could run WebSmart just on a PC (BCD would give you the stuff that normally goes on the i in a folder you could load into your PC), but then you would have to provide the PHP environment on your PC for it to work with.

 

So, What’s the Point?

Obviously, WebSmart is not a replacement for Zend; it’s a complement to it or at least to Zend Server (because you could use the WebSmart IDE versus Zend Studio). So is it worth it?

 

Well, let’s look at that two ways. First, think about the IDE. Whether the IDE that WebSmart has is better or easier to use than Zend Studio is not something I can comment on. Probably some people will think it’s better; some won’t. You know how people are.

 

Nor do I think it is all that important. The WebSmart IDE has syntax checking and completion, a debugger, integration to Zend Framework 2, PHP Data Objects (PDO) database access methods, and integration to Z-Ray if that’s part of your Zend Server configuration…all the basic things you need to create and test scripts. In the end, either IDE can do the job for you, and my guess is whichever one you learn first will seem the most natural.

 

The big takeaway here are the templates. These are not skeleton programs that you have to finish but rather fully formatted pages that you can customize in terms of not only the data that shows up but also the look and feel. There are a number of different “formats” that you can choose from, and then within those formats, you can play with the colors and other effects. I know, when I describe it that way it sounds really dorky, but it’s actually cool because you can choose from a number of very businesslike formats, use your company or gang colors, and incorporate logos or pictures into the mix. And you can do this without having to do any PHP coding.

 

The templates cover basic CRUD and inquiry types of applications, even providing charts and other sorts of tables. There’s even a separate set of templates for mobile applications. Of course, on the i the scripts (and templates) are stored in the IFS (because they are text files) rather than in an IBM SRC file, and BCD has you covered here by building in an FTP connection to the IFS so that your new and updated scripts can be easily stored. And WebSmart uses the standard Zend toolkit to interface your scripts with existing RPG code.

 

But there’s one more thing. BCD is an i company. They understand the machine and the people who use it. And there is some advantage to knowing that whoever you talk to there realizes that the i is not some sort of weird Linux operating system.

 

In the End…

In the end, BCD Software, a corporate partner with Zend, has a product that really fits a need in the i zootopia. And it may be something you want to look at carefully, particularly if you are suddenly told you need to create several web portals that are PHP based and need to be up and ready to go within a very short time. Check it out.

 

 

David Shirey

David Shirey is president of Shirey Consulting Services, providing technical and business consulting services for the IBM i world. Among the services provided are IBM i technical support, including application design and programming services, ERP installation and support, and EDI setup and maintenance. With experience in a wide range of industries (food and beverage to electronics to hard manufacturing to drugs--the legal kind--to medical devices to fulfillment houses) and a wide range of business sizes served (from very large, like Fresh Express, to much smaller, like Labconco), SCS has the knowledge and experience to assist with your technical or business issues. You may contact Dave by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (616) 304-2466.


MC Press books written by David Shirey available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC 21st Century RPG: /Free, ILE, and MVC
Boost your productivity, modernize your applications, and upgrade your skills with these powerful coding methods.
List Price $69.95

Now On Sale

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: