Robert’s Rants & Rationalizations

Okay, I am a bit overzealous in stating that PHP programmers make scripts that only run on their servers, but I am finding that they can only provide the basic requirements with the assumption that the hosting service allows a standard configuration. I have several accounts on different hosting providers, from co-hosted to virtual private servers (VPS), and even on VPS environments, an environment that I can control, I can’t get their scripts to work completely.

This, I told one developer, has to change by having the developer provide a small script that checks and reports on the user’s environment whether or not the developer’s script will run correctly. Have you ever ran across the GD checker? That’s simple, but I did find (and lost) a script that checked my environment, and I gave it to one developer (I have used many scripts, so I can’t remember which one I gave it to in order to check if he is now using it for his users to check their server environment).

Some sharp scripter should make one which allows a developer to check the options that must be present and working so a user can use the script and know whether the developer’s script will work or not BEFORE downloading, uploading, configuring, etc. the script to find that it doesn’t work.

When you visit another developer’s site, ask them if they have an environment checker to check for compatibility…this will save you time, and you won’t get pissed at the developer like I do.