Facebook Like Webpage Setup

[VernMan]

I have to setup a Facebook like web site using PHP. Any suggestions and/or articles anyone could give. I am well versed in using recordsets with Dreamweaver using MySQL and php. So I'm very the inserting records and retrieving parts all down, what I'm most interested in as the page that refreshes when you hover over links and so forth. What are they using on Facebook and similar pages? Is there an extension anyone is area of? Thanks.

~V

[Ben M]

VernMan wrote:

I have to setup a Facebook like web site using PHP. Any suggestions and/or articles anyone could give. I am well versed in using recordsets with Dreamweaver using MySQL and php. So I'm very the inserting records and retrieving parts all down, what I'm most interested in as the page that refreshes when you hover over links and so forth. What are they using on Facebook and similar pages? Is there an extension anyone is area of? Thanks.

~V

They are using PHP and Javascript, some JSON.  How well can you hand-code because there is nothing in DW that will allow you to build this unless you can code by hand?

[VernMan]

I can hand code no problem, just looking for some insight.

[Guest]

insight requires insight. Currently your post is vague. What specific feature are you looking to replicate? Please elaborate more on what you mean by: "the page that refreshes when you hover over links and so forth". What exactly do you mean by "and so forth"? "So forth" is another discussion topic. In fact, every "forth" in the "so forth" is it's own discussion topic. Leave discussion to one topic at a time. Making a website like facebook is not considered a topic. Making one specific feature that you clearly explain is considered one topic.

Currently your question is equivalent to asking "how do I build a car like a Porsche, where the doors open and the gas makes it accelerate and so forth". Obviously, there's a lot of work that goes into building a car. Far too much to post in one discussion topic. If you specify your question to something like "how do I change a tire on a Porsche" then it's easier for one to recognize your desire and provide step by step assistance to accomplish the task you have specified. If you want to develop a page that's "like facebook" then you can try emailing Zuckerberg. Otherwise state the specific feature that you wish to accomplish.

[VernMan]

there's one in every group..

the question remains, for those who actually wish to be helpful

what I am talking about is the main blogging section where people post messages and if you move your mouse over any link the page refreshes itself, twitter does the same thing only it tells you the number of new tweets

[Guest]

You're right, there is one in every group that wants to build a Porsche without describing exactly what it is they want. There's book written on how to build websites, which is what you were originally asking for: "I have to setup a Facebook like web site". The question doesn't remain because it wasn't accurately asked in the first place. You were originally asking for "and so forth", whatever that is supposed to mean. Therefore the question is... (still vague). With a detailed description you are likely to get someone to respond that wishes to be helpful.

FWIW the page in the main blogging section of facebook (do you mean the facebook wall?) does not refresh itself when you move your mouse over a link. The same goes for the new tweets info box that appears in realtime when new tweets are available.  It refreshes, but not upon mouseover. That's coincidence. I assume you're looking for an ajax realtime update. Use something like ajax to query the database and display updates in realtime. Lookup ajax realtime update on google for more information on the subject.

[pziecina]

Hi

there's one in every group..

Unfortunately very true!

But to help with your question:

I personally start with the layout of the page, then add the functionality I require. Some work the other way around but this is obviously a personal preference.

To use the 'Porsche' theme that was previously used, if you cut down each item of functionality that you require on your page to the 'components' principle and develop them as 'proof-of-concepts' the overall development will normally proceed much easier as developing this way the only requires that you 'plug-in' the separate components into your page and any problems are then easier to find as you have already proven that each component works.

The best place to start with such items is the jQuery web site and examining the code of the facebook site itself, as they not only show one how to incorporate things like ajax but give examples of other page functionality that you may require, - http://jquery.com/.

The other problem you will face is the creation and insertion of content by users into your 'facebook' app. which may possibly present more problems than the actual page itself, and depending on the number of users may quickly become unmanageable, for a simple cms system that allows multiple users you could try - http://www.cmsmadesimple.org/. I would personally recommend using one that you are conversant with and that you know you can expand, (modular) as required.

PZ