Zend Certified Engineer
Hi mates,
finally i have got certified as Zend Certified Engineer on 10th of this month.
i have been decided to take the exam since a year, but was too busy to hold myself at home and revise the manual and prepare for the exam, but this month i said this is it.
The exam is very tricky with lots of confusing questions, it tests your ability of thinking and your real experience with php, web development, security and many other topics that some people will not expect to exist in PHP exam, it is real benchmarking to your abilities.
I must say that preaparing for the exam has opened various topics for me to dig deep in, and it was a great experience.
And being one of the only 2 certified in Egypt is cool 
New Home Page Layout
I dunno if anybody has noticed this cause most of the visitors come to the blog directly, i have deployed a homepage for the site http://www.php-architect.com , it contains no graphic, just some ajax / css tricks with some theme.
i was obsessed by the idea that i couldn't wait until i finish the content of the pages, and i deployed it.
waiting for suggestions to improve it and i will upload the content soon.
Installing Python & PyGTK on Mac OsX
Recently i have been asked to develop an application that will work on Linux, and Mac os, so i started developing it on my Ubuntu, i chosed Python as the programming language and PyGTK as the GUI for it.
The application worked fine on my Ubuntu, but when i moved it to Mac OSx (Leopard), i had a problem importing the PyGTK module and the program GUI didn't run. so i tried to install PyGTK from sources with all its dependencies, but after spending a day doing so i ended up with many errors in compiling the dependencies and finding them.
after some search i found out that i can do this using MacPorts.
so here is the steps i followed :
- Install X11 http://guide.macports.org/#installing.x11
- Install Xcode tools http://guide.macports.org/#installing.xcode
- Install MacPorts http://guide.macports.org/#installing.macports
- Make sure the paths are configured in your shell profile http://guide.macports.org/#installing.shell
- Restart your shell, and follow the next commands :
1- Install Python
sudo port -v install python25
2- Install Python select
sudo port -v install python_select
3- Activate our installed python version
sudo python_select python254- Install pygtk
sudo port -v install py25-gtk
5- Install some gnome themes and engines
sudo port -v install gnome-themes sudo port -v install gtk-nodoka-engine sudo port -v install gtk-smooth-engine sudo port -v install gtk2-aurora sudo port -v install gtk2-clearlooks sudo port -v install gtk2-extra sudo port -v install gtk2-industrial sudo port -v install gtk2-murrine
6- Install theme switch
sudo port -v install gtk-theme-switch
7- Select which theme to be used by your applications by running the theme switch
switch2
Now you can have the applications you develop using python and pygtk running smoothly on mac os leopard.
Aroma Systems – Be Guided By Your Senses
It has been 3 months since i joined the team at Aroma, and i have to say i enjoyed every single day.
Since i have been always a chaser to my dreams, i found the environment there suitable for me, it gives you the time and the conditions that will make you learn, develop, apply and innovate.
During these 3 months i have finished many projects, i learned a lot, and applied a lot of what i have been learning before during my career.
The team there is amazing, i enjoy working with them, we brainstorm on crazy ideas that looks impossible and we do it 
,
We always focus on the new and top technologies that helps us build secure and fast application with very attractive user interface, and since the team is experienced in them and certified from large companies like Adobe, IBM, and Beta Testers for the technology makers like Zend "The php company" we know how to use the tools well to get the best output ever.
We made a new page to demonstrate our work, u will find a video there and some shots behind the scenes, i am sure u will like it. the video is quiet large but it is worth it, be patient
The link to the page is http://systems.graphicaroma.com
Aroma Systems is a department of Aroma Design & Solutions
we are working now on some projects that will rock the market soon
wish me good luck
Completion of IBM Java Programming Diploma
I have got my certification of completion of Java Programming Diploma last week.
The most usefull thing i got from this course is the stong concept of OOP in java which helped me a lot in PHP especially after working with PHP5 which is diversed to the OOP conecpt. and also using Zend Framework.
i would like to thank the one who encouraged me to take it. ; i am satisfied with it and it was something i must have taken.
i have written some Java tutorials here, i will right more when i am done with the couple of projects i am taking care of now.
Ubuntu Course : Mission Accomplished
well, this week has been a busy one for me,
but the highlight of the week is that i gave a full ubuntu course to 15 person, from the introduction, passing through the installation, till the desktop and interface, and alternative applications to those on windows.
the course didnt take much time, only 6 hours as the applicants has previous experience with unix.
it was really a good experience, and i can't wait to do it again.
Zend Framework
Recently i started looking around Zend framework, i have been suspicious for a long time about sticking to a framework in developing my applications, i used to use my own classes, but after reading about Zend framework, i decided to give it a try especially when i discovered that it work smoothly with Zend studio for eclipse, and soon inshallah i will release a new project built on this framework.
and here is some info about Why to use Zend Framework :
Extending the art & spirit of PHP, Zend Framework is based on simplicity, object-oriented best practices, corporate friendly licensing, and a rigorously tested agile codebase. Zend Framework is focused on building more secure, reliable, and modern Web 2.0 applications & web services, and consuming widely available APIs from leading vendors like Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, Flickr, as well as API providers and cataloguers like StrikeIron and ProgrammableWeb.
Expanding on these core themes, we have implemented Zend Framework to embody extreme simplicity & productivity, the latest Web 2.0 features, simple corporate-friendly licensing, and an agile well-tested code base that your enterprise can depend upon.
Extreme Simplicity & Productivity
We designed Zend Framework with simplicity in mind. To provide a lightweight, loosely-coupled component library simplified to provide 4/5s of the functionality everyone needs and that lets you customize the other 20% to meet your specific business needs. By focusing on the most commonly needed functionality, we retain the simplified spirit of PHP programming, dramatically lower the learning curve, and your training costs
One of my applications got mentioned in Al-Ahram Newspaper
It was in the newspaper today, they mentioned the application i have done for the MenaTravelAwards, the annual awards feast that is held in Dubai every year, i developed this application last year in the company i work for "CHA" under the supervision of the well known auditing company "PriceWaterHouseCooper" the same company that audit the Oscars,
the application was used by around 100,000 voter last year, and it was such a great experience, i automated all the process of voting, and auditing, and no cheats are allowed at all due to the strong policies i applied
