• There are some new reserved keywords.
• strrpos() and strripos() now use the entire string as a needle.
• Illegal use of string offsets causes E_ERROR instead of E_WARNING. An example illegal use is: $str = ‘abc’; unset($str[0]);.
• array_merge() was changed to accept only arrays. If a non-array variable is passed, a E_WARNING will be thrown for every such parameter. Be careful because your code may start emitting E_WARNING out of the blue.

• PATH_TRANSLATED server variable is no longer set implicitly under Apache2 SAPI in contrast to the situation in PHP 4, where it is set to the same value as the SCRIPT_FILENAME server variable when it is not populated by Apache. This change was made to comply with the » CGI specification. Please refer to » bug #23610 for further information, and see also the $_SERVER['PATH_TRANSLATED'] description in the manual. This issue also affects PHP versions >= 4.3.2.
• The T_ML_COMMENT constant is no longer defined by the Tokenizer extension. If error_reporting is set to E_ALL, PHP will generate a notice. Although the T_ML_COMMENT was never used at all, it was defined in PHP 4. In both PHP 4 and PHP 5 // and /* */ are resolved as the T_COMMENT constant. However the PHPDoc style comments /** */, which starting PHP 5 are parsed by PHP, are recognized as T_DOC_COMMENT.
• $_SERVER should be populated with argc and argv if variables_order includes “S”. If you have specifically configured your system to not create $_SERVER, then of course it shouldn’t be there. The change was to always make argc and argv available in the CLI version regardless of the variables_order setting. As in, the CLI version will now always populate the global $argc and $argv variables.
• An object with no properties is no longer considered “empty”.
• In some cases classes must be declared before use. It only happens if some of the new features of PHP 5 (such as interfaces) are used. Otherwise the behaviour is the old.
• get_class(), get_parent_class() and get_class_methods() now return the name of the classes/methods as they were declared (case-sensitive) which may lead to problems in older scripts that rely on the previous behaviour (the class/method name was always returned lowercased). A possible solution is to search for those functions in all your scripts and use strtolower(). This case sensitivity change also applies to the magical predefined constants __CLASS__, __METHOD__, and __FUNCTION__. The values are returned exactly as they’re declared (case-sensitive).
• ip2long() now returns FALSE when an invalid IP address is passed as argument to the function, and no longer -1.
• If there are functions defined in the included file, they can be used in the main file independent if they are before return() or after. If the file is included twice, PHP 5 issues fatal error because functions were already declared, while PHP 4 doesn’t complain about it. It is recommended to use include_once() instead of checking if the file was already included and conditionally return inside the included file.
• include_once() and require_once() first normalize the path of included file on Windows so that including A.php and a.php include the file just once.
• Passing an array to a function by value no longer resets the array’s internal pointer for array accesses made within the function. In other words, in PHP 4 when you passed an array to a function, its internal pointer inside the function would be reset, while in PHP 5, when you pass an array to a function, its array pointer within the function will be wherever it was when the array was passed to the function.

If you were to make a search on the Internet on how loyalists of both PHP and ASP.net are doing almost everything by biting each other’s heads off, you will realize how hot this debate actually is. The major contention is that Microsoft products are generally considered to be superior to other products, but then there are programmers that have been using PHP since ages and never once has it let them down. While there is acclaim for ASP.net being more robust and speedier, PHP fans maintain that PHP has much better support and a very easy to understand language.

As the debate between PHP and ASP.net rages on, it is important to make a frank comparison between the two languages, so that other developers who are not so strong in their opinions are not caught in the argument between the two. Here are some of the important points that distinguish the two programming languages from each other:-

(For the uninitiated, PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor and ASP.net stand for Active Server Pages. It helps to put things into better perspective!)

» PHP is a relatively simpler language to use than ASP.net. Initially, PHP was written in the C programming language to replace a set of scripts in Perl. That is the reason why coding in PHP remains simple even today. Many developers find themselves to be more at ease with the user-friendly nature of PHP when it comes to coding. However, critics also count this advantage of PHP as a disadvantage. Some of them maintain that the language of PHP has not been updated much, and hence it is still quite archaic and even, somewhat cumbersome for coding. ASP.net, which is a relatively new development, has a lot of options when it comes to languages. Here, you can use languages such as C#, J#, C++ and VB.net. Hence, when it comes to sheer choice, ASP.net has better to offer. But PHP is no less, since it can do its task quite well, even with its minimum language tools.

» PHP is has much better support for the database management system, MySQL. In fact, the very popular blogging platform, WordPress uses the formidable combination of PHP coding on MySQL for its content management system, which includes about hundreds of thousands of blog posts every single day. Another very popular and frequently updated service that uses the combination of PHP and MySQL is Wikipedia. ASP.net can also support MySQL, but PHP is unanimously hailed, by the masses and classes alike, for its great support for this database management system.

» People who use both PHP and ASP.net also maintain their opinion that PHP is better for embedded support with another database management system, viz. SQLite. SQLite is described as a relational database management system and since it is contained in a C programming library, PHP can provide better support to it.

» PHP has also a very good support for object oriented programming, on which whole scripting languages are being built nowadays. ASP.net also provides very capable support to OOP.

» When it comes to support, PHP wins over ASP.net. The main reason for this is that PHP is open source. Hence, the support can come freely from all over the world. In most cases, PHP fixes are made instantly. Being open source also ensures that there are very few snags in PHP. While, ASP.net could take a while to make fixes. That is because it is owned by Microsoft, and it is the development team of Microsoft that will need to respond to the support query. That could take more time than the worldwide open source support that PHP is able to get. Most PHP supports can be instantly found online by doing a simple search on the Internet. Some of the providers of support for PHP are Zend, NuSphere and ThinkPHP.

» PHP can use the command line to perform many everyday activities. Some of the things that the PHP command line is useful for is for manipulating across many files and for putting files into multiple directories at once. These are just some of the important features that PHP’s command line is used for.

» PHP is an open source programming language, which means it is free for anyone to use. Programmers can develop PHP applications virtually at no cost, because PHP is free to use. ASP.net is not free too, but its extensions are available for free on Windows platforms, upwards of 98. Hence, ASP.net is available to Windows users when they buy it. That puts a bit of restriction in its use.

» ASP.net is compiled into memory in binary code. So, when ASP.net is used for coding, it is evident that it takes much longer time to process since the codes need to be retrieved from memory. However, PHP is not compiled into memory like ASP.net is. It is interpreted at runtime. That is the reason why PHP coding leads to better speed and even efficiency. However, it must be said that both PHP and ASP.net can run at supreme speeds and efficiency when they are coded expertly.

» Talking about hosting charges, both PHP and ASP.net are quite cheap to host. If you do a good deal of shopping online, you will also be able to find hosting for as little as $4. While there are several pricier hosting services out there, their charges are higher for both PHP and ASP.net. Hence, it can be said that both PHP and ASP.net are at par with each other on the hosting charges.

» Since PHP is older, there are many people who claim that it is much more secure than ASP.net where coding is concerned. ASP.net is much new, and the security options may not be fully in place yet. However, many programmers will pooh-pooh at this point, because they maintain that security in coding does not depend on the language that is used, but in the way that the coding is done by the coder. Even so, there is a lot of talk on the Internet about PHP coded sites being more difficult to hack into than those done with ASP.net.

Hence, there is a lot to debate on about the worthiness of PHP over ASP.net or vice-versa. There is probably no end to it, and there never shall be. The problem mainly is that both of them are good in their own place, but people who have been staunchly using PHP for several years now – some of them for more than a decade – would certainly not like to go in for the new ASP.net. The price to be paid is quite high, i.e. learning a whole new syntax and getting used to it. That is more the reason why PHP is still so popular.

But, to ASP.net’s credit it must be said that it is much more dynamic, even if the mere use of different languages are concerned. While PHP is still stuck to its scripting language days, ASP.net has broken new grounds by entering into new languages, and even developing some of its own. However, a new shadow is looming large on these language-programming tools – the coming of the WYSIWYG editors such as Dreamweaver, which are making coding a very simple task to do for even the lay computer user.

It now has the same standing as other core Adobe products, such as Flash, Flex and Dreamweaver (to the question “Which technical skill sets, if any, will you look to hire or contract in 2010?”, approx. 12% of the survey respondents replied “Fireworks”, and to the question “Which tools/products will you or your organization use in 2010?”, more than 44% of the survey respondents replied that they will be using Fireworks).

A lot of official Adobe pages cover the latest version of Fireworks, CS5, in detail: for example, the new Fireworks CS5 product page; the Fireworks CS5/CS4/CS3 comparison chart; and the pages that highlight Fireworks CS5’s Web workflows and design workflows.

But none of these official Adobe pages actually answer the question that so many design professionals are asking in the first place: is Fireworks CS5 really better? Will it save you time and effort? Are the new features worth the upgrade price? This article gives detailed answers to these questions. We’ll present a neat list of Fireworks CS5’s new features and improved workflows, along with examples of how they will make your work much more efficient.

1. Better Performance

Performance Improvements

One of the most notable (and welcome) improvements in the latest version of Fireworks is performance. Fireworks CS5 is faster and more lightweight, it uses less RAM and it is much more stable than any previous version of Fireworks.

For example, look at the following performance graph. Testing was done on a five-year-old Lenovo ThinkPad, with a 1.5 GHz Intel Pentium-M CPU and 1.5 GB of DDR memory.

Performance-graph-1-rv2 in Adobe Fireworks: Is It Worth Switching to CS5?

Performance graph of start-up times.

Notice that start-up times are much better for the CS5 version, and Fireworks CS5 may need less than 4 seconds for a “warm” start on a five-year-old machine; some Mac users already report similar performance improvements.

More performance stats:

• “Cold” launch times improved by 3 to 9% (average)
• “Warm” launch times improved by 30 to 32% (average)
• Memory (RAM) usage reduced by 2 to 16% (average)

Graph of general performance improvements.

So, while major new versions of Adobe applications are usually more resource-hungry than their predecessors, seeing that this is actually the opposite case with Fireworks is a pleasant surprise.

Better Handling of Files

Fireworks CS5 opens and saves PNG files faster, better and more reliably. It also allows you to open multi-page Fireworks PNG files much more easily, because the open dialog shows a preview of all of the pages inside.

Multi-page preview in the “Open” and “Import” dialog boxes.

(NOTE: Files created in Fireworks CS4 (and earlier versions) will not have the preview option available by default; a Fireworks PNG file must be saved at least once in Fireworks CS5 so that the multi-page preview becomes available for this file.)

Integrated Recovery Options

Fireworks CS5 is much stabler than its predecessor. Still, in case the worst happens and Fireworks CS5 suddenly crashes on your Mac, it automatically places a recovered copy of the file in a Recovered Files folder on your desktop. Windows users are protected, too: they can use the AutoBackup extension, which works perfectly with both Fireworks CS4 and CS5. The extension works on Windows and Mac and automatically saves copies of all opened PNG files at a user-specified interval inside a folder named FWAIRBackup (which is located on the same path as the original file).

Fireworks CS5 Windows and Mac users are protected from data loss.

2. PI Panel Improvements

The new PI panel in Fireworks CS5 (overview).

In Fireworks CS5, the PI panel has been largely improved. It now responds much faster, and compared to CS4, the “refresh” times are reduced, especially on Windows. It also has many new features. Let’s look at the four most important ones:

New “Constrain Proportions” Option for Resizing Objects

No need to use the Numeric Transform tool anymore when you want to resize an object and keep its proportions locked. The new “Constrain Proportions” option on the PI panel simplifies this and saves you time (and a few extra clicks).

The PI panel option to lock the proportions of an object.

New Dithering Option for Gradients

Gradient Dithering is a new feature introduced in Fireworks CS5. When working with gradients, switching the Gradient Dithering option “on” or “off” is now just a click away.

PI panel option for switching Gradient Dithering on and off.

New Stroke Alignment Options

Need to change Stroke Alignment properties? You don’t need to open the Stroke options anymore — just use the new Stroke Alignment icons, right on the PI panel.

The Stroke Alignment options on the PI panel.

New Compound Shape Tools

Fireworks CS5 has a powerful new feature: Compound Shapes (more on this feature later). Creating and editing them is done easily from the PI panel, too.

Editing Compound Shapes on the PI panel.

3. New Text Engine Features

• Kerning, tracking and leading between characters in a text block can now be easily controlled using only the keyboard (simply put the cursor in between characters and use the keyboard arrow keys).
• The slider value for kerning and tracking has been increased to 200.
• If you open a PNG file created in Fireworks v. CS3 or lower, the kerning and tracking values will be automatically mapped and the look of the text will be preserved.
• A new option (unique to Adobe Fireworks) allows you to multi-select characters and words in a text box and then style them together at once. This is complemented by another new option that allows you to auto-select similarly styled characters, words or paragraphs inside a text block, and then modify their styles at once.
• An editable and auto-completing font list box feature has been added (Windows version only).
• Now, you don’t need to restart Fireworks after installing a new font (Windows version only).
• Undoing (Ctrl/Cmd + Z) and redoing (Ctrl/Cmd + Y) at the character level is now possible while you’re in text-editing mode.
• Double-clicking selects the word, and triple-clicking selects the entire paragraph.
• In the Layers panel, text object layers are now marked with a tiny “T” icon, for easier recognition.
• A Text Overflow indicator appears when extra characters (that don’t fit the text-in-path or text-on-path) exist.
• Copying and pasting text from any version of Microsoft Office into Fireworks is much improved.
• The number of characters that can be copied and pasted into a Fireworks text block at once has been increased from 2000 to 8000.

(We may highlight and explain text engine improvements in Fireworks CS5 in greater detail in a future article.)

4. Improved Adobe CS5 Integration

• Fireworks CS5 now supports ASE swatches, the same color file format supported by Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and Kuler. The .ASE support will allow designers to easily exchange color schemes between Fireworks and other Adobe products.
• Fireworks CS5 has very good integration with Adobe Illustrator CS5. Fireworks CS5 can import graphic assets from Illustrator CS5 almost perfectly, and copying and pasting directly from Illustrator CS5 into Fireworks CS5 is possible with a high level of fidelity and editability, too (there exist only a few exceptions to this).
• Fireworks CS5 can export in the new FXG 2.0 file format, and FXG 2.0 files can be imported into Illustrator CS5, Flash Catalyst CS5 and other Adobe programs with almost no loss in editability.
• Fireworks CS5 is integrated with Adobe Device Central CS5 (read the article about Adobe Fireworks CS5 and Adobe Device Central titled “Mobile workflows using Fireworks CS5 and Device Central CS5“).
• The integration with Adobe Photoshop CS5 is excellent, too. Fireworks CS5 can import graphic assets from Photoshop CS5 very well. Fireworks CS5 has much better support for Photoshop PSD files. Adjustment Layers in a PSD file now retain their appearance when opened or imported in Fireworks. Gradient round-tripping is now possible between Fireworks and Photoshop.

5. Miscellaneous New Tools And Features

Compound Shapes

Fireworks CS5 has powerful new vector tools in its toolset, called Compound Shapes. Compound Shapes are special vector groups that give you greater vector power. You can create new compound shapes out of existing vector objects and you can also draw in several compound shape modes. A Compound Shape group allows the editing and styling of several vector objects as one, while preserving the original vector objects inside the group. The individual objects can be easily re-edited or ungrouped at any stage.

To use the new Compound Shapes, simply select several vector objects together, and then use one of the available Compound Shape operations (found on the PI panel): Add/Union, Subtract/Punch, Intersect, Crop.

After you have created a Compound Shape group, editing individual objects within the group is easy: simply use the Subselection tool (white arrow) to select and modify any individual object. To edit the Compound Shape group as one object, switch to the Pointer tool (black arrow).

Here’s a simple example:

Example of Compound Shapes.

The introduction of Compound Shapes in Fireworks CS5 gives designers even more flexibility, because the standard vector combine workflows (Modify → Combine Paths → Join/Split/Union/Intersect/Punch/Crop) can be complemented by the new non-destructive combine vector workflows.

Compound Shapes are also fun for all kinds of creative artwork:

“Monsters,” a creative use of Compound Shapes (illustration by molif.com).

Dithering Option for Gradients

Fireworks CS5 now has a Dithering option for gradients, which almost completely reduces any “banding” in radial or linear gradients.

The new Gradient Dithering option reduces “banding” in gradients.

NOTE: The Gradient Dithering option is available for Radial and Linear gradients only. For now, other types of gradients in Fireworks are not supported.

Reverse Option for Gradients

Fireworks CS5 allows you to easily reverse the direction of any kind of gradient, which can save time.

Reverse Gradient option.

Snap-to-Pixel

Snap-to-Pixel is a new feature in Fireworks CS5 that allows you to fix instantly almost any blurriness in a vector object (or a group of objects), after some complex transformations have been applied to it. To apply this command, use Modify → Snap To Pixel, or the Cmd/Ctrl + K shortcut. This is one of the best and most useful new features in Fireworks CS5.

Templates

Fireworks CS5 introduces Templates. Now you can easily create and share your own PNG templates inside a small or large design team.

To use this new feature, simply select File → New from Template to open an existing template, or File → Save as Template.

Templates options in the File menu.

Fireworks CS5 comes with several pre-built templates (neatly organized in a few groups: Grid Systems, Mobile, Web, Wireframes, etc.). Users can extend these easily by creating and saving their own templates.

Better CSS Export Options

Fireworks CS5 has much better CSS and HTML exporting options. Here are some highlights:

• A new option to export multiple pages as CSS, HTML and images at once; a great feature for quickly exporting your designs as dynamic, clickable prototypes.
• It is now possible to tag text objects by tag name to output the text with a particular HTML tag.
• A Text Area symbol has been added for improved HTML-form prototyping.
• There is a List Item symbol to allow for the creation of unordered lists (both normal text lists and lists with links).
• Font sizes are now in percentages to allow for easy and flexible text resizing in all browsers.
• Divs with set heights now have min-height equivalents to allow for text resizing and any amount of content.
• Many other small and big improvements have been added to the CSS Export script.

Global Preference for Grids

In Fireworks CS5, preferences for grids are now global and can be overridden for individual documents.

Global preferences for grids.

Redesigned Align Panel

The Align panel is improved and more powerful. It now remembers the most recent settings used and is more usable.

Align panel options.

New “Copy to Clipboard” Option for Colors

You can use standard option for copying color values of any selected color, or use the new option for one-click copy of the color value.

Copying color #hex values is now easier.

New “Don’t show again” Option for Resample Dialog

When you copy and paste objects between files that have different resolution (dpi setting), Fireworks will ask you if you want to resample the pasted vector or bitmap object. While it is certainly useful to have this option, experience have proved that leaving the original dpi setting of the object to be pasted is often the best choice and leads to better results.

So now in Fireworks CS5, you can select the “Don’t Resample” option and check the “Don’t show again” checkbox. Setting will be remembered and in the long run, this new option may save you time.

Better paste options for documents with different dpi settings.

6. Early (P)reviews

Fireworks CS5 is a very strong release.… For Fireworks CS5, more than with any other release in our history, we listened to our users. They told us that we needed to make sure Fireworks had rock-solid stability and reliability, and that we needed to refine the existing features before thinking about new ones. That’s exactly what we did, and the results are impressive.

— Bruce Bowman, Fireworks Product Manager at Adobe

I’ve had the unique opportunity to spend some time working with the new Adobe Fireworks CS5, and it has been a pleasure. The stability improvements are immediately noticeable, and although this has been described as a “stability release,” there are some very useful new features that should not be overlooked.… Overall, Adobe Fireworks CS5 is a fantastic release. Stability, new features and a smoother workflow with other Adobe products keep it as the front-runner when designing for pixels on the screen.

— David Hogue, Director of Information Design and Usability at Fluid, Inc.

Aside from the major performance, stability, install and memory enhancements… there are tons of tweaks under the hood of Fireworks CS5!

— Darrel Heath, freelance web designer and developer

Adobe has published a really extensive piece surrounding the details behind Fireworks CS5. I’ve talked about it with a few designers, both Fireworks and Photoshop users, and had a gut feeling that it would be mostly a bug-fix release. While every Adobe product under the sun needs at least one full version release consisting of mostly bug fixes, I gladly welcome Fireworks CS5. The fixes mentioned in the piece have me really excited to put more time into working with the application after it’s released.

— Jonathan Christopher, front-end developer at Overit Media

Fireworks CS5: improved performance, more precise control over the pixel placement of design elements and a streamlined, accelerated workflow.

— Webdesigner Depot

Adobe Fireworks CS5 is better than ever. The engineers searched high and low to find ways to make Fireworks faster, more stable and easier to use. I know I’m impressed and I hope… you will be too!

— Jim Babbage, author at Lynda.com (Part 1, Part 2)

Enjoy the increased stability and polish in Fireworks CS5. If you haven’t upgraded in a while and passed over CS4 as some people I know have done, don’t pass on CS5. It will make your current workflows much smoother and does add a few welcome new features. I highly recommend it!

— Stéphane Bergeron, freelance Web designer at Webfocus Design

7. Conclusion

I wasn’t able to list all of the new features and improvements in Fireworks CS5, but I hope your curiosity now is piqued enough that you will want to try Fireworks CS5 soon. If so, grab the 30-day free trial or order Fireworks CS5 from Adobe (either separately or as part of Web Premium CS5, Design Premium CS5 or Master Collection CS5).

Finally, check out other recent articles about Adobe Fireworks published on the Smashing Network:

• The Ultimate Round-Up of Fireworks Tutorials and Resources
• Adobe Fireworks Tutorials and Downloads: Best of
• An Explosion of Adobe Fireworks Resources

We hope to see more smashing Fireworks-related articles in the next few months, so if you have questions, feel free to share them in the comments!

But it is not without concern; after terrible misses in great scoring areas from the world’s greatest footballers. Could it be altitude? Playing conditions? The quality of our fields…?

No, I don’t think so; the blame should be attached to our very own Jabulani soccer ball.

Many players, goalkeepers in particular, have raised serious concerns regarding this balls flight and movement.

In comparison to the soccer balls players are accustomed to, this ball can be unpredictable at times, which makes world class players look ordinary and often clumsy,

People might say the low scoring games we’ve witnessed since the tournaments inception should be attributed to stronger defensive tactics applied by the coaches but I beg to differ.

Lastly, I’m very much impressed by the course the SWC has taken; but the banning of the vuvuzela should be reconsidered. If we as the fans are protesting, how do we expect to see the brand of football we are expecting if we aren’t willing to accommodate the players?

FIFA must take a stand and eradicate these seemingly small elements threatening this stunning event.

Technology is getting obsolete faster than you imagine. The VCR, for instance, lasted a little over a decade, and the DVD is soon set to follow… Now 3G is in danger of getting outdated in just six months. After 4G, the next big thing will probably have to be something faster than the speed of light! Speed is the name of the game, and none of the other players who bid with such abandon for the 3G and broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum licences have the pan-India spectrum that Mukesh Ambani’s company now has. And he got it literally for a song — a far superior technology for a mere Rs 4,800 crores, compared to the Rs 10,000-crores-plus that some of the others paid. This is what he shelled out to acquire a 95 per cent stake in Infotel Broadband, that had bid for — and secured licences in — all 22 circles. The others had made BWA bids in just three or four circles. In fact, big names like Vodafone and Reliance Communications had dropped out of BWA bidding as they thought the price was too high and they had already bid a lot for 3G. It was considered by some that Infotel Broadband was acting unwisely in bidding for all 22 circles. Very few people could have had any idea of the much more exciting game being played behind the scenes. The cost of a pan-India BWA spectrum licence was considerably less than that for 3G. Mukesh Ambani must have been watching the bidding by big names at the auction with concealed glee — with hindsight, it almost appears like a Tom and Jerry show. It eventually emerged that the government and Mukesh Ambani were the two biggest beneficiaries of the first-ever 3G and BWA auction. As the RIL boss said later, 3G and BWA promise to be key drivers for rapid growth of advanced services. But 3G is limited to cellphones, while the 4G technology is extremely futuristic. The use of Wimax technology and LTE is relatively new, and not really proven yet. A presentation by RIL noted that only 110 operators in 48 countries have so far committed to deploying LTE; and of these it is operational in only two — Norway and Sweden. Given RIL’s petrochemicals track record, his company might well make India the third country after Norway and Sweden to deploy LTE.

There is some concern in corporate circles that given his monopoly in 4G, Mukesh Ambani’s company could well dictate prices in the same manner that the initial operators in mobile telephony were able to. Way back in the early years of this century, it was the then undivided Reliance that turned the cellular world upside down with its Monsoon Hangama scheme that made cellphones affordable for the lower economic strata. The others simply had to follow if they were to survive. Exciting times indeed lie ahead.

If the venture happens successfully it is going to be helpful for mutual growth of both companies. Moreover the contact is awaited …

I just got Important call so I have to leave this post here…..Wiil be writing rest of this post in 2-3 days…