Calvin Buckley

Continuous Integration for PHP Extensions

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(Co-written with Alan Seiden)

CI/CDContinuous Integration (CI) ensures that every time a developer commits changes to a version control system such as Git, the code is automatically built and subjected to automated tests.

CI has been invaluable to us. As maintainers of PHP’s PDO_IBM and ibm_db2 extensions, we use CI to ensure high quality across platforms.

Platforms supported by PHP’s extensions for Db2 include IBM i, Unix/Linux, and Windows. While our focus is IBM i, we must ensure compatibility with the others. Reliance on manual testing would introduce the risk of broken builds or subtle bugs. Automation is a must.

In this post, we explain how we use CI principles when building and testing PHP’s Db2 extensions.

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Calvin Buckley

ODBC Connection Strings for IBM i Db2

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ODBC with Db2 for IBM iAs ODBC gains popularity for IBM i database access, developers of web applications and APIs need information on defining ODBC database connections. This article demonstrates tips and techniques for effectively using ODBC connection strings in all programming environments, including popular languages such as PHP, Python, and Node.js.

For an example of how connection strings are used in a program, see How to Query IBM i Data with PHP and PDO_ODBC.

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Alan Seiden

How to Query IBM i Data with PHP and PDO_ODBC

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ODBC & Db2 for iOf the PHP extensions that can connect to IBM i Db2, PDO_ODBC is the most flexible.

Although the classic extensions (ibm_db2, PDO_IBM) often provide the best performance and integration, PDO_ODBC does have several benefits:
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Amy Lantz

Alan’s PHP Tips to Wow Your Users [VIDEO]

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“The order entry app is hanging again!”  Nobody wins when your system is slow or stuck.

Find out how the best IBM i teams keep their users happy and productive with snappy PHP applications. In this video, Alan shares tips to optimize PHP websites and APIs for improved speed and stability. He explains why newer PHP versions are inherently faster and offer smoother migrations. He also details how to use Apache’s mod_deflate, look for network issues and bots, manage session clean-up, prepare for business growth, improve PHP Db2 performance, profile your application, and much more.

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Alan Seiden

Does Our PHP API Need a Framework? A Q&A with Rob Allen

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API To follow up on Rob Allen’s article about choosing a PHP framework for APIs, here is an edited discussion between Rob and a developer at a Seiden Group client regarding their new API.

In this discussion, Rob addresses common developer concerns about frameworks for APIs.

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Alan Seiden

How to Upgrade Zend Framework 1 to PHP 7.4 or 8.x

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UPDATED SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

Zend Framework

For security, performance, and developer productivity, we encourage PHP users to upgrade to current versions of  PHP.

What gets in the way of upgrading PHP? Often, it’s an old framework release, such as Zend Framework 1 (ZF1), which reached end of life in 2016. This article will show an easy way to upgrade PHP, even with ZF1 applications.

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Rob Allen

How to Choose a PHP API Framework

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APIAlan and I provide API strategy for a software company who asked us whether they should use a PHP framework and, if so, which one would be best. They also wondered whether to invest in a commercial API gateway.

My thoughts on APIs and frameworks struck Alan as useful for any language and platform. Alan encouraged me to document my “philosophy of frameworks” here for anyone planning to develop web apps or APIs.

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Calvin Buckley

New IBM i extension for PHP

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PHP on IBM iOne of the open source components we’ve built at Seiden Group is a new extension to enhance PHP’s integration with IBM i.

Although most business requirements are met by the existing ibm_db2 and PDO_ODBC extensions plus the PHP Toolkit, the new php-ibmi makes it easier to accomplish several (formerly) difficult or impossible tasks—especially for tool vendors, and when troubleshooting.

We’ve built six functions thus far, with the possibility of more in the future. Let us know what you think.

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Calvin Buckley

ibm_db2 & ODBC Run Side-by-Side in Seiden PHP+

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PHP on IBM iIn the past, PHP on IBM i implementations could not run or even load both the classic database extensions (ibm_db2 / PDO_IBM) and the ODBC extensions (odbc / PDO_ODBC). Operating system limitations prevented both types from being loaded at the same time.

In July 2021, we overcame those limitations in Seiden PHP+. Yes, now the classic PHP database extensions can run side-by-side with ODBC!

To our knowledge, Seiden PHP+ is the only IBM i PHP that can load all the Db2 extensions at the same time. Therefore, when you install Seiden PHP+, all the Db2 extensions (ibm_db2, PDO_IBM, odbc, and PDO_ODBC) can be enabled by default.

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Amy Lantz

PHP 7.3 Enters End of Life Today—Free Upgrade Assessment

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PHP on IBM iPHP 7.3 entered end of life today and will no longer receive fixes—including security fixes.

If you’re still running applications on PHP 5.4, 5.6 or 7.3 (run php -v to check), it’s time to schedule a free upgrade assessment.

PHP upgrades are easier now, thanks to IBM’s adoption of RPM-based open source packages. Over the past year, our clients have reported smooth and even enjoyable migrations to CommunityPlus+ PHP 7.4 and 8.0.

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