Zend/PHP - i5/OS September Update: Zend Conference, PHP Training options, more…

Thank you for you continued support. The topics for this month’s update are below.

Topics:
1. Zend Conference: Oct 9th - 11th, Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
2. Zend Conference — Reserving a spot in the System i-specific sessions
3. Zend Training Options
4. Upcoming PHP Presentations Live
5. Recent System i-Specific Articles Mentioning Zend/PHP

1. Zend Conference: Oct 9th - 11th, Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport - http://www.zendcon.com/index.php
Please mark your calendars for the Zend Conference.

Registration options can be found at http://www.zendcon.com/registration_fees.php – you can attend the entire conference or just for one day.

This is the premier PHP conference in the world and it will occur here in the US. In addition to a System i specific track there will be many other tracks that will interest those running PHP — some listed under the System i tracks below — on the System I ranging from using PHP with SAP to SOA & PHP to MySQL sessions.

All System i specific sessions will occur on Tuesday, October 9th (http://www.zendcon.com/schedule_glance.php#i5Session):

i) Session Title: Introduction to PHP
Session Abstract: PHP is one of the hottest new technologies on System i.
This session will provide an introduction to the PHP offering on System i. Topics in this session will include a general overview of what PHP is, why it is important to System i and why System is a great platform for PHP, a general introduction to the PHP syntax, and application possibilities the language provides.
Speakers: Erwin Earley (IBM)
PHP Experience Level: Beginner

ii) Session Title: Leveraging DB2/400 data and RPG/COBOL/CL programs
Session Abstract: PHP on System i provides the framework for implementing applications that leverage existing i5/OS data and system resources. This presentation will guide you through examples on how PHP is utilized to retrieving/updating DB2/400 data and invoking RPG/COBOL/CL programs. Additionally, attendees will be able to will showcase future enhancements making it easier to leverage your System i investments.
Speakers: Sam Pinkhasov (Zend) and Erwin Earley (IBM)
PHP Experience Level: Beginner/Intermediate

iii) Session Title: Best Practices for running PHP on System i
Session Abstract: The number one area of interest from the System i community pertains to best practices. This session will explore best practices for developing and implementing PHP applications on System i. Best practice topic range from security to architecture specific coding examples.
Speakers: Shlomo Vanunu (Zend) and Erwin Earley (IBM)
PHP Experience Level: Intermediate

Other Sessions that may interest those PHP on running System i” (http://www.zendcon.com/speakers_list.php):

-”A Short Trip to Enterprise City at the World’s Largest Car Manufacturer. Sights: Notes, SAP, & PHP” by Jens-Paul Berndt, Toyota
-”Optimizing Service Oriented Architectures with PHP” by Glenn Campbell, Yahoo!
-”MySQL Performance Coding - From Soup to Nuts” by Jay Pipes, MySQL
-”High Performance PHP & MySQL Scaling Techniques” by Eli White, MySQL
-”QEDWiki and Zend Framework” by Stewart Nichols, IBM
-”Evaluating PHP as a technology platform for SOA implementations” by Vedanta Barooah, Hewlett Packard
-”IBM DB2 with PHP 5.2 and AJAX” by Thorsten Rinne, Mayflower GmbH/ThinkPHP
-”Working With Web Services” by Rob Richards, Local Thunder

Some of you have inquired about the Tutorial Day (http://www.zendcon.com/schedule_glance.php#mon). This is akin to COMMON’s preconference workshops and these are geared toward those with an intermediate level of PHP experience.

2. Zend Conference — Reserving a spot in the System i-specific sessions
Those considering attending are recommended to reserve spots by replying to this email and changing subject to “ZendCon”. This will ensure a spot is reserved for you in the System i-specific sessions. If more than one person from your company has registered or is considering attending then please include the number in the subject — for example “ZendCon 2 people”.

Obviously those who’ve already contacted me need not contact me again. We are looking forward to the Zend Conference. Thank you.

3. Zend Training Options
For those of you not able to attend the Zend conference there are still options for available via the web and onsite. Full list of courses are available at http://www.zend.com/education/php_training_courses/courses but here are some examples:

A) “PHP for RPG Programmers” — use Zend’s System i to evaluate PHP (http://www.zend.com/store/zend_php_training/php_for_rpg_programmers)
This introductory PHP training course is specifically designed for the System i/AS400 community. This is the only course currently available that allows course attendees to remotely access Zend’s System i to experiment with, create and run PHP programs and applications.

B) “PHP Foundations” (http://www.zend.com/store/zend_php_training/php_foundations)
We recommend taking this course following the “PHP for RPG Programmers” course. This class solely focuses on the language of PHP vs. the platform you are running your PHP on. This takes you from a beginner PHP level to intermediate.

C) PHP Certification (http://www.zend.com/store/zend_php_training/zend_php_certification_training)
This course goes fairly deep into PHP and provides many hands-on examples. “Similar to PHP Foundations” this course is platform agnostic.

4. Upcoming PHP Presentations Live
IBM’s Erwin Early, IBM Advisory Software Engineer, to present “PHP and MySQL in i5/OS — New Stacks and New Solutions” at Omni in Chicago (Tuesday, September 18th).

If you know of a Zend presentation and would like to have it included in October’s Zend update/newsletter then please email to JDillard@Zend.com

5. Recent System i-Specific Articles Mentioning Zend/PHP
-Zend and the Art of Web App Construction (8/1) - http://www.systeminetwork.com/artarchive/20977/channel//subart//index.html
-MySQL Enterprise i5/OS Delivers Database for PHP-Based Web Apps (8/2) - http://www.systeminetwork.com/article/w/1001/n/5054/i/6697/a/55289/MySQL_Enterprise_i5_OS_Delivers_Database_for_PHP_Based_Web_Apps.html
-Exclusive Interview with Mark Shearer: “The Once and Future System i” (8/4) - http://www.mcpressonline.com/mc?50@252.a1CKewp2ZKf.1@.6b50a033
-System i Announcement Wrap Up (8/6) - http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh080607-story01.html
-IBM Details MySQL on System i Offering (8/7) - http://www.itjungle.com/fhs/fhs080707-story02.html
-Essential Skills for System i Web Development, Part II (8/8) - http://www.mcpressonline.com/mc?50@252.a1CKewp2ZKf.1@.6b507aef
-Zend Beefs Up DB Support, Eases Moves to I (8/9) - http://www.systeminetwork.com/article/w/1001/n/5054/i/6713/a/55333/Zend_Beefs_Up_DB_Support__Eases_Moves_to_i_.html
-TechTip: Start Using PHP on the iSeries…NOW! Part II (8/12) - http://www.mcpressonline.com/mc?1@@.6b50a08e
-Zend, IBM Weave PHP and Blue Software a Little Tighter (8/13) - http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh081307-story06.html
-Is PHP the Systems i’s Next RPG? (8/21) - http://www.itjungle.com/fhs/fhs082107-story01.html
-TechTip: Start Using PHP on the iSeries…NOW! Part III (8/24) - http://www.mcpressonline.com/mc?50@252.a1CKewp2ZKf.1@.6b50a180
-PHP: An Easy Yet Powerful Language Syntax (8/29) - http://www.itjungle.com/fhg/fhg082907-story01.html
-A Database By Any Other Name Is Still DB2/400–For Now (8/27) - http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh082707-story05.html
-Zend Preps System i Sessions for October ZendCon 2 Event (9/4)
-SugarCRM Delivers ‘Landmark’ Release (9/5) - http://www.itjungle.com/fhs/fhs090407-story01.html

Thank you and please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Regards,
Jim Dillard

———————————————
Jim Dillard
IBM Alliance Manager
Direct: 408-342-8886
Email: JDillard@Zend.com