With the MySQLi extension (the 'i' stands for improved) you basically call methods on/read properties of a mysqli object rather than passing a resource to procedural functions, get a mysqli_stmt object when you prepare a statement, get a mysqli_result object back from a query, etc. It's clearer and neater than the old way and it opens up opportunities for using some of the newer features like iterators.
Sorry if it sounded like I meant that it does schema-reading magic and presents your tables to you as objects or something (although I don't doubt that there's code out there somewhere that does it, and it'd be very doable by implementing appropriate _get, _set and _call methods on your particular object. Look at the SOAP extension for an example of that sort of thing.)
Basically, PHP 5 adds proper object support (think Java-style) including iterators for objects, and new extensions add good XML support, SOAP, SQLite, better MySQL support (prepared statements, OO interface, etc.)
I'd recommend reading Adam Trachtenberg's book Upgrading to PHP 5 if you're familiar with PHP 4.
Whilst I don't like scum like the guy interviewed in TFA, if there was no financial incentive the professional botmasters would have to, you know, actually earn a living somehow other than screwing people over.
It's a cop out for the companies whose software is being installed to say, "Hey! Look, guys, honestly, we don't know anything about it!" They don't really care.
It's even more of a cop out for the companies whose ads are running on the adware that's being used - "We didn't know it was going to be showing without users' consent!" But they don't care either.
If companies showed some sort of sense of ethics this wouldn't happen. HAH! There's no room for ethics in business today.
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Flickr also sells "pro account" subscriptions for the ability to upload more, no ads, etc. for $24.95 a year: http://flickr.com/upgrade/
With the MySQLi extension (the 'i' stands for improved) you basically call methods on/read properties of a mysqli object rather than passing a resource to procedural functions, get a mysqli_stmt object when you prepare a statement, get a mysqli_result object back from a query, etc. It's clearer and neater than the old way and it opens up opportunities for using some of the newer features like iterators.
Sorry if it sounded like I meant that it does schema-reading magic and presents your tables to you as objects or something (although I don't doubt that there's code out there somewhere that does it, and it'd be very doable by implementing appropriate _get, _set and _call methods on your particular object. Look at the SOAP extension for an example of that sort of thing.)
There's a good summary on Zend: http://www.zend.com/php5/andi-book-excerpt.php
Basically, PHP 5 adds proper object support (think Java-style) including iterators for objects, and new extensions add good XML support, SOAP, SQLite, better MySQL support (prepared statements, OO interface, etc.)
I'd recommend reading Adam Trachtenberg's book Upgrading to PHP 5 if you're familiar with PHP 4.
Whilst I don't like scum like the guy interviewed in TFA, if there was no financial incentive the professional botmasters would have to, you know, actually earn a living somehow other than screwing people over.
It's a cop out for the companies whose software is being installed to say, "Hey! Look, guys, honestly, we don't know anything about it!" They don't really care.
It's even more of a cop out for the companies whose ads are running on the adware that's being used - "We didn't know it was going to be showing without users' consent!" But they don't care either.
If companies showed some sort of sense of ethics this wouldn't happen. HAH! There's no room for ethics in business today.
It'd never work - just look at Jurassic Park!