If you don’t know, I’m a big ExpressionEngine fan (although my blog is on WordPress, I know). One of the best features or add ons or whatever you may call it is a master config file which will help a lot of aspects of development, but especially with running EE in multiple environments.

The one I like to use comes from Focus Lab, LLC out of Savannah, GA. Definitely check out their master config file on GitHub.

As with ExpressionEngine’s core team, Focus Lab recommends installing and running EE with some files ‘above the webroot’. This includes Focus Lab’s master config file, which is set up by default to run above the webroot.

However, I’m in a situation now where my client has a cheap shared hosting service (his choice, not mine), where we don’t have access to put anything above the webroot. This is likely the case for many, but I still wanted to use the master config files for version control, and development workflow. But it’s easy to alter, in only three short little lines of code.

Change in config.php

One of the instructions is to copy over a line of code to add at the bottom of config.php. The line looks like this:

require $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/../config/config.master.php';

Now, to get this to work with having the /config/ folder within your webroot, simply remove the ‘/..’ from the line. The result should read:

require $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/config/config.master.php';

Change in database.php

One more instruction has you copy over the database.php file to override the default file. There is an identical line of code in there to change on line 16.

Change in config.master.php

Finally, the last change, which has me tripped up for a minute or two, is the same change, but in the config.master.php file which is in the config folder you copied over from GitHub. On line 235, we need to make that exact same change (removing the ‘/..’) from the URL and that’s it!

Now I won’t condone running this from within the webroot because there are security issues, as EllisLab warns. It may not be the best practice, but sometimes when you don’t have access to the ‘above the webroot’ area, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do!

Questions? Leave ‘em in the comments.

For the first time in a long time, I logged on to my Google Analytics account and saw a shocking number. People are still reading my post comparing Lynda.com to Treehouse.

That post is quite old, and a lot has changed, so I’m planning on writing an update to it. Stay tuned.

Tonight kicks off the Summer Concert Series for my wife and I. We’re looking to hit a lot of shows this summer, and it starts with Lady Antebellum, with Darius Rucker at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Other shows on tap:

• Dave Matthews Band
• Counting Crows
• Colbie Calliat & Gavin DeGraw
• Jason Mraz

It’s been forever since I’ve posted on my site here. I’ve been swamped with stuff coming from all directions and haven’t had time to write anything on my own site. But here’s a rundown of what’s been going on with me:

• My wife and I started a company called Jump Start Athletes
• I’ve been writing more and more for a new blog called DeveloperDrive
• Working a ton on learning more and more ExpressionEngine
• Having a lot of fun at work – hopefully continuing a Stanley Cup run
• And oh yeah, my wife and I are going to have a son in October!

So yeah, that’s about it!

It’s been almost a month since I wrote an entry on my website, and I apologize for no new content. I’ve been working feverishly on a multitude of other projects, both at work and on a personal level.

I have been accepted to write for a relatively new blog, Developer Drive, and you should be seeing my first few articles coming up this week and in the coming weeks. So far I’ve got one in the system, and another two in review.

Professionally, I’ve been trying to up my game and dig more into research and analysis of our marketing efforts and how I can help them be better. This starts with our email campaigns, which I’ve started to design responsively, catering to the 50% or so of readers who open emails on their iPhone or Android device. It’s pretty crazy to think of how mobile devices have changed the way we get and digest information. It’s so rapid these days, no one takes time to actually read an email. It’s just – give me the main points and let’s move on.

All of the time at work spent on various technologies brings me to the real question of this blog post. How many different technologies is TOO many to focus on? I certainly don’t want to be seen as stretched too thin amongst various skills, but when I look at the vast array of stuff to learn on Treehouse (my favorite) and Lynda.com (my go to when Treehouse doesn’t have it), I’m always curious – how much is too much?

Is it reasonable to try and learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript as well as PHP or Ruby or iOS or anything else? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments, but if nothing else, chime in on the poll.

Thanks!

 Loading ...