This Week’s Link List (October 15, 2010)

Once again, this week’s list is full of great community-produced content…everything from how to speed up PHP scripts with asynchronous database queries to how to write cross-platform PHP code to manipulate files. Happy reading…

• Gonzalo Ayuso shows how to speed up PHP scripts by using asynchronous database queries. (Although he uses PostgreSQL in his examples, his technique is applicable when using any database.): http://gonzalo123.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/speed-up-php-scripts-with-asynchronous-database-queries/

• Rob Allen (a.k.a @akrabat) provides advice about how to handle a form that appears on every page: http://akrabat.com/zend-framework/a-form-in-your-layout/

• Aditya Mooley examines lambda functions and closures, new in PHP 5.3: http://www.sanisoft.com/blog/2010/10/08/lambda-functions-and-closures-in-php-5-3/

• The SQL Azure team announces 5 new SQL Azure whitepapers published on the TechNet Wiki: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlazure/archive/2010/10/11/10074316.aspx

• The Windows Azure team describes how to send e-mails from Windows Azure (part 1 of 2): http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazure/archive/2010/10/08/adoption-program-insights-sending-emails-from-windows-azure-part-1-of-2.aspx

• Inspired by the promise of a pumpkin pie, a Ruby on Rails developer lists 10 things he likes about PHP: http://objo.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/php-there-is-a-good-side/

• The Interoperability Team at Microsoft announces the availability of new Windows Azure Tools in Eclipse for PHP developers: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/interoperability/archive/2010/10/12/windows-azure-tools-for-eclipse-for-php-new-update-new-tutorial.aspx

• Scott Hanselman provides some useful tips for using Twitter: http://www.hanselman.com/blog/SubtleButVeryImportantTwitterTipsAndTechniquesYouShouldKnowCauseNoOneWillTellYou.aspx

• This post fills in some of the PHP-Microsoft interop history I missed last week: http://www.iis-aid.com/articles/iis_aid_news/looking_back_php_iis

• This is a useful post for writing cross-platform PHP code for manipulating files: http://blog.elijaa.org/index.php?post/2010/10/14/Write-file-manipulation-cross-platform-PHP-code

• Propel ORM 1.5.4 now has SQL Server support via the pdo_sqlsrv driver!: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqldriverforphp/thread/8b54e0fd-33b3-499b-a77f-4ea31177e12e

• Buck Woody writes a very detailed post about configuring SQL Server: http://www.informit.com/guides/content.aspx?g=sqlserver&seqNum=153

• Just for fun: http://xkcd.com/806/

That’s it for this week…have a great weekend!

-Brian

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