Aaron Rosenfeld / 18 posts / 42 comments / feed / comments feed

phpWatch 2.0 Development

phpWatch has become a much greater success than I anticipated.  Going by the hits to the version-check file, there are about 600 active users on a day to day basis.  I get a few e-mails per week with suggestions and criticism that has been invaluable in the development of phpWatch.  After aggregating a list of possible features and changes for version 1.0.9, I’ve decided to re-write the system from the ground up as version 2.0.

The list of a few features you can expect in 2.0:

  1. Redesigned Frontend: The frontend has been completely re-written for W3C validation and visual appeal.  This portion of the project is almost complete and I’ll have some screenshots up soon.
  2. Smarty: The Smarty template engine will be used to separate implementation from presentation rather than mixing HTML and PHP.
  3. JavaScript Rewrite: The JavaScript used in current versions of phpWatch is scattered throughout multiple pages and does not follow any specific convention.  2.0 will feature re-written, organized JavaScript relying on jQuery for all functionality including Ajax requests.
  4. Statistics: One of the most requested features from users is the ability to plot and analyze uptime information.  2.0 will feature extensive use of pChart to graph different user-defined uptime metrics.
  5. Backend: The backend of phpWatch 2.0 will be significantly more organized than current versions.  Additionally, all server-specific PHP syntax (i.e. short tags) have been standardized to the PHP default configuration to decrease the number of errors reported.
  6. SMS Integration: I have re-worked the SMS system based on my php|architect article to provide additional functionality such as user-specified gateways.  Additionally, the formatting of SMS and E-mail messages will be much easier to edit than they are in current versions.
  7. New DBAL: I’m planning on using ADOdb for 2.0 rather than the existing Database class.  This should make pages load faster as well as make code more readable.

At the moment I don’t have a release date but I’ll be sure to post any major milestones.

Also, I’m still looking for more suggestions and feature requests from existing and prospective users.  If you have ideas, please let me know either by commenting here or by sending an e-mail to aaron [at] aaron-rosenfeld.com.