Category: ZCE

Using Google WorldMap visualization component in your applications

Its really hard to find a good flash based world map component to use in your web applications. They are either too complex to add or they cost quite a lot. And even sometime if you pay that, its tough to customize the chart as you want it to look like. But you know there is someone called “Uncle G” (i.e google) here who has almost all the components in his Pandora’s box. So lets see how can we use the geomap component from their Visualization Library.

First we need to create a datatable which will act as a data source for this world map, as usual like all other google visualization component.

[source lang=’javascript’]
var data = new google.visualization.DataTable();
data.addRows(5);
data.addColumn(‘string’, ‘Country’);
data.addColumn(‘number’, ‘Number of ZCEs’);
data.setValue(0, 0, ‘Bangladesh’);
data.setValue(0, 1, 19);
data.setValue(1, 0, ‘India’);
data.setValue(1, 1, 150);
data.setValue(2, 0, ‘Pakistan’);
data.setValue(2, 1, 4);
data.setValue(3, 0, ‘Nepal’);
data.setValue(3, 1, 5);
data.setValue(4, 0, ‘Sri Lanka’);
data.setValue(4, 1, 7);
[/source]

now we will initialize the google visualization framework and draw this component using this data source

[source lang=’javascript’]
var geomap = new google.visualization.GeoMap(document.getElementById(‘‘));
geomap.draw(data, null);
[/source]

but wait, we are not done yet – to make sure that everything works properly, we need to wrap all of these code inside a function (for example name this function as drawGeoMap) and we will use that function as a callback to draw this map. and of course, we need to load the google visualization library and geomap component first

so here is the complete code of this
[source lang=’javascript’]







[/source]

you can check the demo at http://sandbox.ofhas.in/geomapv1.php

it will display a world map with highlighted countries like below
Geomap V 1

but wait – lets make ca nifty change and add event listeners to it. we will add event listeners in such a way so that whenever users click on any country in the map, it will take you to zend yellow page corresponding to that country 🙂 that will make it really an useful component :). here is the code

[source lang=’javascript’]







[/source]

check the demo at http://sandbox.ofhas.in/geomapv2.php

now you can click on any country and it will open a new tab with that particular country pre selected – and you can see who are the zend certified engineers from that country. i hope you’ve liked this :). Thanks goes the theam Visualization team at google for creating these awesome components and to make them free for use

For reference – check out geomap reference at google code at http://code.google.com/apis/visualization/documentation/gallery/geomap.html. you can do many other cool things like displaying only US states map or Canadian States map with this 🙂

Just PHP will give you nothing… unless you upgrade yourself

I have been working with PHP for more than 3yrs (I believe still I am beginner in this category) – I was present in several interview board. Which things disappointed me most is the “lack of eagerness” to learn what comes new. Sometime developers thinks that learning Only PHP will help them to get lucrative jobs!! OMG

Specially in BD most of the time PHP developers plays multiple roles in the companies, they are developer, they are template designers, they are HTML coders, they are DBA, they are PMs….what the heck. Only few companies have different people for these roles.

How far you can go just learning PHP (RAW code, in ancient style, that means PHP+HTML together, yak!!)? You have to have knowledge in CSS, JS, Frameworks, Multiple DBS

When it comes the question of CSS, you should maintain a list of websites where from you can get updates. Dont learn the CSS from book, but goto websites and see what is happening… If you are still using Tables to design (more…)

Zend never finish its 6-8 weeks

I had been ZCE this 666 (June 6th, 2006). After that I got a mail from education program manager of zend, Dhwani Vahia that I passed my exam and I will receive my certificate within 6-8 weeks. Well that was june 2006 and today is November 9th. Think that 6-8 weeks havent finished yet. I also got similar expressions from some other ZCEs from different forums.

I am very disappointed on Zend. A cert by no means can take 5months (and continuing….) to arrive.

Zend is launching PHP5 Exam

Zend is launching PHP5 certification exam pretty soon. The beta is starting from this July 26 – Sunday to August 2. Today I received a mail from Dhwani Wahia from Zend Education Advisory board announcing the upcoming Exam.

But There is a surprise. Zend is giving away 25 Free beta exam voucher chosen from existing Zend Certified Engineers. Lets see the Result. Zend already published the curriculum for PHP5 exam.

Great