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## 1. Quick Start

The Quick Start chapter tries to give you a ten-minute introduction to PHPLIB installation, outlines a few simple testing procedures and closes with an overview of PHPLIB features.

## 1.1 License

PHPLIB consists of the files in this directory and all its subdirectories. It is made available as free software under the LIBRARY GNU General Public license, as spelled out in the file `COPYING` in this directory. Also, it is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the license for more details.

## 1.2 Target Group and Prerequisites

PHPLIB targets the PHP application developer. You need to have good knowledge of the PHP language, at least basic SQL database knowhow and at least basic knowledge on how to operate your web server to be able to use the library.

The library will help you to write medium to large sized data-driven web applications. "Medium to large sized applications" are applications that consist of multiple database queries, have to generate tables from database data, need a user interface that generates SQL queries or need a comfortable and user-friendly way to protect pages or functionality on pages. "Data-driven" applications are applications that make use of a supported SQL-database to create HTML content and that use HTML forms to drive database transactions.

To make use of the library you obviously need access to a web server with a working installation of a current PHP interpreter (we recommend 3.0.12 or newer for this release of the library) and access to a supported SQL database (currently, PHPLIB supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, mSQL, Oracle 7 and Oracle 8, Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server and ODBC databases). You need to be able to create and drop database tables in that database and your web server must be able to execute `SELECT`, `INSERT`, `UPDATE` and `DELETE` statements on these tables.

Throughout this manual, we assume that you are using the MySQL database server. PHPLIB will run with any supported SQL server, but we are using MySQL in the development of PHPLIB.

PHPLIB can be used in conjunction with the CGI version of PHP and with `mod_php`, integrated into Apache. Usage of the CGI version has an impact on overall speed, because you cannot take advantage of persistent database connection. We recommend the Apache module over the CGI version, although we personally use the CGI version for various reasons (easier to update and can be run with Apache `suexec`).

PHP 4 is still in beta. We do not support deployment of this library with beta software.

## 1.3 Quick Guide to Installation

These instructions apply to PHPLIB running with CGI PHP. Most of them are valid for mod_php as well, though. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a quick installation guide to get you started if you have an installation where you control the web server, PHP interpreter and database server completely. They are not suitable for a web hosting setup where you have only limited to no control over the installation. Refer to Chapter 2 of this documentation for the complete installation instructions and troubleshooting information.

Before installing PHPLIB, get your web server up and running and have it executing files with the extension .php3. Check that with a simple `<?php phpinfo() ?>` script. Make sure the web server accepts `index.php3` as well as `index.html` as a default file for URLs ending in "/" (Apache: `DirectoryIndex index.html index.php3`).

Get your MySQL database server up an running. Create an empty database for your application and make sure the owner of your web server processes can access this database with `SELECT`, `INSERT`, `UPDATE` and `DELETE` access. Don't forget the `mysqladmin reload` after changing the user and db tables.

Step 1

  Create an include directory named `php` parallel to your web servers document root directory. Do not put the include directory below your web servers document root.

Step 2

  Unpack your PHPLIB distribution. Move the contents of the `php` distribution directory into the `php` directory you just created.

Step 3

  Get to the `php3.ini` file for your web servers PHP interpreter and update the `include_path` statement so that it points to that `php` directory. Update the `auto_prepend_file` statement so that it points to the `prepend.php3` file in that include directory.

  If you do not have control over your php3.ini file, you did not read the VERY IMPORTANT NOTE above.

Step 4

  Also check that `track_vars` are enabled and that you have enabled `magic_quotes_gpc`. While you are at it, you might want to check `sendmail_path`, if you plan to send mail from your application. It has to be set to `/usr/lib/sendmail -t` on most UNIX systems to work.

  If you do not have control over your php3.ini file, you did not read the VERY IMPORTANT NOTE above.

Step 5

  cd into the `php` include directory. Edit `local.inc`. In `class DB_Example` supply the appropriate parameters for your database connection.

Step 6

  For this database, run `create_database.mysql` from the distribution to create `active_sessions` and `auth_user`. `auth_user` will be populated with a sample user named `kris` with a password `test`.

Step 7

  Move the contents of the `pages` directory and all its subdirectories into your document root directory.

Step 8

  Access the "/" URL of your web server with cookies enabled. If no `index.html` is present, `index.php3` will be displayed. If you reload that page, the number shown must increment. Access your database with the mysql command client and `select * from active_sessions`. Check that there is a single session record for your browser and see how the text in `val` changes when you reload the page and `select * from active_sessions` again. If this works, the session class is functional with cookie mode.

Step 9

  Now access `showoff.php3`. Try to login as `kris`, password `test`. Check `active_sessions` again. You now should have a `Example_Session` entry (see the `name` column) and a `Example_User` entry in your table. Both should increment on reload.

Step 10

  Try again with cookies disabled. You should get a new session (the cookie is lost) and you should be able to see your session id as the get parameter part of your URL.

## 1.4 Using core features of PHPLIB

Many applications don't use PHPLIB's advanced features, but see PHPLIB as a convenient way to protect pages or functionality with passwords. This section covers such core functionality usage of PHPLIB.

Customizing the login screen

  Edit `loginform.ihtml` in the include directory to suit your needs.

Customizing the permission levels

  Edit `local.inc` and change the class `Example_Perm` to enumerate your permissions. Your users in `auth_user` must have one or more comma separated permission names from that list. Edit `perminvalid.ihtml` for a suitable error message.

Creating New Users

  Use `new_user.php3` from the `pages/admin` directory of the distribution. If you followed the installation instructions, it should be available under the `/admin` URL of your web server.

  To manually create a user, run `print md5(uniqid("some magic string")` to get a user id. `insert into auth_user values ( "that userid", "username", "password", "permissions");`.

Creating an unprotected session page

  Begin that page with

  > `

  >     <?php page_open(array("sess" => "Example_Session")); ?>

  > `

  End that page with

  > `

  >     <?php page_close(); ?>

  > `

Creating a protected session page

  Begin that page with

  > `

  >     <?php
  >       page_open(
  >         array("sess" => "Example_Session",
  >               "auth" => "Example_Auth",
  >               "perm" => "Example_Perm"));
  >       $perm->check("desired protection");
  >     ?>

  > `

  and end that page with

  > `

  >     <?php page_close(); ?>

  > `

Creating protected functionality

  Begin that page with

  > `

  >     <?php
  >       page_open(
  >         array("sess" => "Example_Session",
  >               "auth" => "Example_Auth",
  >               "perm" => "Example_Perm"));
  >     ?>

  > `

  and end that page with

  > `

  >     <?php page_close(); ?>

  > `

  Enclose the protected functionality in

  > `

  >     <?php
  >       if ($perm->have_perm("desired protection")):
  >     ?>
  >     Put protected HTML or PHP here
  >     <?php
  >       endif
  >     ?>

  > `

  Note: `desired protection` is any combination of permissions from `Example_Perm`. Using the default values from Example_Perm, "`user`", "`user,author`" or "`admin`" are all valid sample values. A user can access a page, if that user has all permissions that are being requested in a $perm->check() or $perm->have_perm() call.

  Note: Users can have multiple permission in their perms column of `auth_user`. A user with perms "`user,author,editor`" can access all pages requesting any combination of these permissions.

  Note: Don't use spaces. "`user,author,editor`" works. "`user, author, editor`" does not.

  Note: If `$auth->auth["uid"]` is set on a protected page and if `(time < auth->auth["exp"])`, then and only then the authentication is valid. You may then use `$auth->auth["uname"]` as the user name, `$auth->auth["uid"]` as a unique user id and `$auth->auth["perm"]` for the current permissions of that user. Actually, you never want to touch `$auth->auth["perm"]` manually, but use `$perm->have_perm("...")` for that.

Getting a grip on PHPLIB

  Read on. Then read the source. Read it again - Session->serialize() and Auth->start() are ugly. Get a CVS account. Contribute. Become famous. Buy a ferrari.

  Note: You want to understand what registered variables are. You want to understand in what order form variables and session variables are imported into your page. You want to understand how to copy values from form values into session values without killing yourself. You do not want to make form variables persistent, ever. Then you will live happily thereafter...

## 1.5 Testing

These instructions apply to PHPLIB running with CGI PHP. Most of them is valid for mod_php as well, though. This section offers an incremental approach to find installation problems, should the above installation process fail.

We do have a support mailing list available under the address `phplib-users@lists.sourceforge.net`. To subscribe to the list, send a message with `subscribe` as the subject to the address `phplib-users-request@lists.sourceforge.net`.

Checking that the web server is up and running

  Make sure your web server is up and serving the virtual host you just set up. To do this, construct a small file `test1.html` in your DocumentRoot and access `test1.html` through your web server.

Checking that the web server is executing CGI programs

  Make sure your web server is up and does run CGI. Check the current directory, the UID/GID it is running programs under and have a look at the environment variables. Install the shell script

  > `

  >     #! /bin/sh --

  >     echo "Content-Type: text/plain"
  >     echo
  >     id
  >     echo
  >     pwd
  >     echo
  >     env | sort
  >     echo

  > `

  in your cgi directory under the name of `cgi-test` and in your document root under the name of `cgi-test.cgi`. Make it executable. Try to access `/cgi/cgi-test?par1=one&par2=two` and `/cgi-test.cgi?par1=one&par2=two` and check the output. What UID/GID are you running under, what is the output of `pwd` and what environment variables are set? What does `QUERY_STRING` look like? What does the `PATH` variable look like, what does the `LD_LIBRARY_PATH` variable look like and are all libraries needed by PHP accessible to PHP running in the CGI environment (Check by running the Unix `ldd` command on PHP).

  In particular, if you built Oracle support into PHP and linked `libclntsh` dynamically: Can it be loaded from the CGI environment? If not, PHP will not come up later in the next step.

Checking that the PHP interpreter is running (Assuming CGI PHP)

  Copy your PHP binary into the cgi binary directory (which should NOT be below DocumentRoot!) and make it executable. Copy `php3.ini` into the same directory. In DocumentRoot, create a `test2.php3` and put <?php phpinfo() ?> into it.

  Are you running Apache? Add

  > `

  >     Action       php3-script /cgi/php
  >     AddHandler   php3-script .php3
  >     DirectoryIndex index.php3 index.html index.htm
  >     FancyIndexing on

  > `

  to your config. This will map all requests to files ending in `.php3` to the `php3-script` handler and define `/cgi/php` as the URL handling `php3-script` requests internally.

  Request `/test2.php3` and see that it is being executed. Make changes to your `php3.ini` (preferable some color definitions) and reload. Are they reflected in the output of `phpinfo()`? If not, your `php3.ini` is not being found and your are having a problem. Recompile with proper settings.

  Check the output of `phpinfo()` carefully! Is your PHP version current (We have tested and developed this release with PHP 3.0.12)? Are your database interfaces present in the output of `phpinfo()`? If not, recompile again.

  Can you access `/test2.php3` under the URL `/cgi/php/test2.php3` as well? If so, you did not compile your PHP interpreter with `--enable-force-cgi-redirect`. PHPLIB will not work with this interpreter. Recompile with the switch being set.

PHP interpreter (Assuming mod_php)

  Assuming your server is already correctly setup (don't forget to activate the PHP lines in `srm.conf`!), enter the following file and save it as `test2.php3` under your DocumentRoot.

  > `

  >     <? phpinfo() ?>

  > `

  If you access this using a web browser now, it should spit out much info about PHP, Apache and its environment.

Checking PHPLIB inclusion

  Does you PHP include PHPLIB properly? Check your `php3.ini` file. It must include the following settings:

  > `

  >     include_path = pathname to directory with all the .inc files
  >     auto_prepend_file = path to prepend.php3
  >     track_vars = On

  > `

  It should contain the following settings, too:

  > `

  >     magic_quotes_gpc = On

  > `

  If PHPLIB is included properly by your setup, the following page will execute without errors:

  > `

  >     <?php
  >     $db = new DB_Example;
  >     print "It works without error messages.<br>\n";
  >      ?>

  > `

Checking database connectivity

  PHPLIB installation requires that you adapt `local.inc` properly. Particularly, the provided class `DB_Example` must be customized for your database connection. Test that your web server can access the database with the following page:

  > `

  >     <?php
  >       include("table.inc"); // requires include_path to be functioning

  >       $db = new DB_Example;
  >       $db->query("select * from auth_user");

  >       $t = new Table;
  >       $t->heading = "on";
  >       $t->show_result($db);
  >     ?>

  > `

  When executing properly, this page will show you the user entry for `kris`, password `test`, permissions `admin` from the `auth_user` table. If this does not happen, your `DB_Example` definition in `local.inc` is broken.

Checking that sessions work

  Access the page `/index.php3` that has been provided with the distribution. This page will try to set a cookie in your browser. Allow that cookie to be set.

  The page will display a headline with a counter. Reload that page. The counter must increment. If not, either your browser cannot deal properly with cookies or PHPLIB cannot properly read or write the table `active_sessions` in your database. Check that the cookie is being set by viewing the output of `phpinfo()` (the fourth table will report the cookie and other per-call data). Check your database permissions with your database command line interface.

Checking that Authentication works

  Try loading `/showoff.php3` that has been provided with the distribution. This page will require a login. Login as `kris`, using a password of `test`. If the login is successful, you will see the per-session counter and a per-user counter again. Reload that page: The counters must increment.

  If you can't login, you probably have a problem with cookies. Check again that your browser accepts and sends session cookies. Another problem may be access to the `auth_user` table. You must be able to `SELECT` on that table and there must be at an entry for the user you are trying to login.

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