After an exciting search of URL Rewriter tools for IIS7, I decided to give Apache a try. I was interested to see how the “real” mod_rewrite worked so I set out to install Apache. As it turns out, installing Apache on Windows Vista is quite easy if you do it the right way. I ended up following the directions located here:
http://senese.wordpress.com/2007/06/06/installing-apache-on-windows-vista/
The instructions worked perfectly. I opened up Google Chrome, typed in localhost and there was the default Apache web page. As a note to the Apache development team, REALLY weak intro web page. Note IIS7 for a much cooler looking page. Ah, but I digress.
As I said, everything was perfect, except for one small problem. When I tried to reach my root domain using external DNS I could not connect. It was nuts! I could ping it, I could resolve the DNS name to the correct IP, I could revert back to IIS and it worked fine, but when I tried Apache it just would not respond.
So after foolishly looking for 2 days at VirtualHosts, bugging people, fussing at my loved ones, I happened upon the solution that was so simple that I felt really foolish for not trying it in the first place. I describe it here to prevent others from suffering as I did.
- Open the Windows Security Center (I double clicked the Shield Icon with the “!” on the quick launch bar at the lower right of my Vista desktop.
- Choose Windows Firewall from the list on the left.
- Choose Change Settings and open the Windows Firewall Settings dialog box.
- Click on the Exceptions tab.
- Click Add Program
- Choose Browse, find your installation of Apache, and select the httpd.exe file. It is in the bin directory of Apache by default.
- Click Open with the httpd.exe file selected and then Ok your way out of the various windows.
Now when you type in your url like http://www.legendrefamily.org/blog/ you should see your site open up as expected.
That’s all there is to it.
My how the lowly have risen, and then fallen again. As I set out on yet another “science project” to develope the latest killer application I was bound and determined to make use of a commercial framework. The idea was to take advantage of what others had built so I could be more productive. To steal a pun, I wanted to stand on the shoulders of giants.
It turns out I was standing on the shoulders of hedge hogs. After a lack luster search I chose the Zend Framework because its components could be leveraged without having to use every aspect of the framework. This was good and so far it has worked as advertised. The big problem I have is the documentation. I am an avid PHP developer (it’s free, easy, and did I mention it was free?). As an avid PHP developer I use the www.php.net documentation extensively. Even though the documentation is sometimes lacking on its own (ok, it’s almost always lacking on its own) the user community comments go a long way to providing insight and code examples.
By comparison, the Zend Framework Programmers Reference Guide could be best described as useless. In every case that I have tried so far the guide has provided a “sample” of what can be done with the framework. Unfortunately for me every “sample” I have found was NOT what I wanted to do with the framework. In fact, I have only managed to sucessfully use the forms validation code so far. Every other attempt to use Zend Framework code has ended in frustration.
Now I will be the first to admit the problem could be me. I have always had trouble with code frameworks that I didn’t write. Having said that, I still think the documentation leaves A LOT to be desired. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the effort that open source developers put forth to build code frameworks. It’s just that if you go through all that effort to make the framework then please don’t skimp on the documentation. The framework could be awesome (and Zend Framework may well be awesome), but if you don’t know how to take advantage of all the power in the framework then it’s useless to the individual developer.
Ok, I’ve said my peace. Now it’s back to trying to figure out how to leverage the framework on my own. See ya!
