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New Category – PHP Frameworks

Ahmad Permessur — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:57:25 +0000

Web developers are always on the lookout of ways to speed up and simplify coding. From WYSIWYG editors, IDEs, code generators, APIs and frameworks, they’re all here to make our life easier.

Frameworks and libraries offer rapid application development by providing reusable code wrapped in either functions or API. They are designed to support the development of dynamic web sites, web applications and web services. Framework helps a lot in alleviating the overhead associated in developing web application like database access, templating framework, user authentication, etc.

We’ve just launched a PHP Frameworks category on HotScripts that highlights hand-picked resources for the 4 most popular PHP Frameworks: CakePHP, Zend Framework, Symfony, Prado and CodeIgniter. Each category features resources for that particular framework including scripts built out of these frameworks, books, tutorials and other development tools and utilities.

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New Category – PHP Frameworks

New Categories – Magento Themes & Extensions

Ahmad Permessur — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:47:36 +0000

Visit our new Magento Extensions category

Magento is a popular PHP and MySQL e-Commerce script with 2+ million downloads. Since its first beta, Magento went through a lot of momentum and is now used by over 60, 000 merchants to power their online stores. Its success is related to its feature sets that address emerging needs of today’s online stores.

HotScripts has added 2 new Magento-related categories to help you take your store to the next level:

1. Magento Extensions – Hand-picked Magento extensions that will allow you to extend the built-in core modules of your store.

2. Magento Themes – Selection of both free and commercial Magento themes that will allow you to change the look-and-feel of your store.

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New Categories – Magento Themes & Extensions

eCommerce Script Magento Celebrates 1st Anniversary

New HotScripts Category – HTML5

Ahmad Permessur — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:46:07 +0000

Visit our new HTML5 Category

HTML5 is a new version of HTML and XHTML. Its specification is still a working draft but has reached a point whereby developers and browser vendors can start using it. In fact, recent versions of browsers already have support for HTML5 and numerous web sites are already using HTML5 code.

HTML5 differs a lot from prior interactions and some of its new elements and features introduced allows web designers and developers to take their web sites and applications to the next level by proving better control over page elements and extensibility via its new API engine.

We strongly believe that HTML5 will change the way pages are coded and NOW is the right time to start learning and experimenting with it. In our attempt to provide you with the best HTML5 resources, we’ve created a new HTML5 category on HotScripts.

You now have access to cherry-picked resources categorized into categories like HTML5 Tutorials, HTML5 Applications and other HTML5 Resources. We will keep on adding new listings on a regular basis, and also welcome you to recommend and submit your favorite HTML5 resources. Finally, if you have any questions or need assistance with HTML5, remember to check our HTML5 Forum section.

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New HotScripts Category – HTML5

Understanding Script Licenses

Ahmad Permessur — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:47:32 +0000

Each listing on Hot Script is released under a particular license as defined by its vendor or developer. A license is an agreement that defines the rights of the author and those of the end-user. To help you better understand the different types of licenses, we’ve listed and explained some of the most popular ones.

Freeware

Listings tagged as ‘freeware’ on Hot Scripts means that they are available for free. Even though being free, it can still be governed by other types of licenses like GPL or BSD licenses.

Commercial License

Also known as a propriety license, the commercial license involves an agreement of script usage under the settlement of a fee. Each commercial licenses will differ depending the author in terms of usage and redistribution rights, and as a buyer, it is important that you read and understand the commercial license prior to purchasing the script. Some commercial licenses will restrict usage of scripts per number of users or per servers and usually include well-defined and restricted user rights for the end-users.

Free trial

A script under free trial allows you to test drive the script for a few days before making any buying decisions. Free trials scripts usually have their source code encrypted and are of two types: feature limited trials and fully-functional free trials. Free trials are ideal for evaluating a script before purchasing a full license. It allows you to test if the script works under your software environment or if it integrates perfectly with your existing web applications.

GPL

The GNU General Public License (GPL) allows a script to be used for any purposes. It gives you the freedom to modify the source code to suit your needs and you can even redistribute the script as long as you make the source code available again. A script available under GPL doesn’t mean that it should be free; web developers have rights to charge for a fee for their scripts. Finally, GPL doesn’t allow you to use an existing script in your commercial application.

LGPL

LGPL which stands for Lesser General Public License is similar to GPL with one main difference – any modifications done to the source code don’t require redistribution. Usually script libraries like PHP classes are available under LGPL and can be used in commercial applications without sharing the source code.

BSD Style

BSD License is closed to LGPL. It allows scripts to be used and distributed with or without source code modification as long as imposed author’s conditions are met. Some of these conditions usually require that copyright and disclaimer notices are retained. Similar to LGPL, BSD License allows you to use any scripts under the license for proprietary commercial products.

PHP License

The PHP License was originally developed for protecting the PHP programming language. Scripts under this license can be redistributed with or without modifications as long as the PHP license copyright statement is included and the word ‘PHP’ is not included in the title of the derived product.

Free for non-commercial use

Some scripts can be used for free as long as the usage is for personal non-commercial purposes. There is a lot of ambiguity with this type of license – the most concise definition that has been put forward is that a script with a ‘free for non-commercial use’ can only be used if you are not compensated in any form from its usage. Since interpretations vary amongst web developers – it is wise to check with the vendor or developer first before using the script.

Other free / Open source license

There are many more open source licenses other than the GPL, BSD or PHP licenses. For a list of other approved licenses, please visit The Open Source Initiative (OSI).

If you have any questions about script licenses, please leave a comment.

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Understanding Script Licenses

Shopping for Web Scripts

Ahmad Permessur — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:51:37 +0000

The nature of the Web has made it easier for fraudsters to scam us. We often hear stories of people being scammed when purchasing scripts. We have compiled a list of things you should look for when buying web scripts. If you choose wisely, you should get good value for money.

Reviews - Do some homework before buying a script. Search for its listing’s page on Hot Scripts to see if any reviews were left. You can also use our forums and ask other members about their experience with the script. If all fails, you can simply resort to using Google to research.

Requirements - It is important to verify that your web host meets the requirements of the script. Some script will not work under different versions of programming platform or database. Furthermore, certain scripts require that you install add-ons like Apache modules, Perl modules and PEAR packages. If you are unsure about the requirements, it is wise to contact your web hosting provider for more information. Other than the web host requirements, remember to verify the user requirements as well, such as if the script will work with just a web browser, or if it will require any additional plug-ins or software.

License & Agreement – Each scripting package is bound by a license and end-user agreement. These documents will describe the copyright of the script as well as what can be modified with the script. If you are not familiar with the software license, it is worth checking Wikipedia, which maintains a list of commonly used software license.

Demo – Always look for a demo or screenshots of the script you are buying. This will allow you to get a real feel of a working version of the script before you purchase. If there is no demo, then this might be a warning sign. Most serious vendors or developers will have a demo on their site. Scammers usually do not have a demo on their site, which indicates that you might end up not receiving the script or they are selling illegal copies of scripts.

Support & Documentation – This is one of the most important factors and is something that you can easily test before buying. Almost everyone will make claim of how great their support is, so contact them before buying with a few questions about their product. You will get a good idea of their level of knowledge, as well as their response and resolution time. If the application you are buying is a mission critical one, remember to check if they provide phone support.

Upgrades and Bug Fixes - Regardless of how flexible or robust a web application can be, upgrades and bug fixes should never be ignored. Check with the vendor to see how upgrades and bug fixes are handled. Will these be provided for free? How quickly are security vulnerabilities addressed? Secunia is a security site that lists vulnerabilities of popular web scripts. You can, for example, do a quick search for the software you are planning to purchase to see how quickly a patch was issued by its author.

Usage Limits - Certain types of scripts come with usage limits. These limits can be duration of usage, per server or domain name installation or even per number of users. Some vendors will allow you to use their script for one year only and the license will need to be renewed afterward. Others will allow a copy of the script to be installed on only one server or domain name.

Code – The coding of a script is a real quality indication. While you may or may not have access to the codes before purchasing, it is vital to ask the seller a few questions: Is the source code open or encrypted? Is it well documented? How difficult is it to modify the source code? Are there any coding styles or frameworks that are used? A code that is well structured, organized and documented will save you a headache should there be a need to further customize it.

Flexibility – Flexibility involves the ability to customize, tweak, bridge and expand the script. The most important thing is to make sure that it can be skinned easily and branded into your existing template. Remember to check with the vendor to see if add-on modules or skins are available.

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Shopping for Web Scripts

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