Monday was officially my first day as a slice host virtual server customer. I have done alot of the set up already but I am going to add a post about what I am doing and how I did it. Not sure if I will actually get the tutorials code and paste it into my blog or just reference on what to follow and where. I suppose its down to my progress with other bits and bobs this weekend.

I have already started the post so will try and finish it very soon, well at-least add a part one! should have done it as I went along but I got excited

Ok so the punch line is a bit of a tease, I have not fully redeveloped CI, in fact I have not yet finished my lite version of CI. But I am making a lean, redeveloped mini version of the CI framework to allow fast loading in a simple manor. It starts with a few key and simple concept.

1. No classes loaded unless they are core essential classes, trying to keep the loading of core classes to less than 256K or just 5 small classes in total.
2. Each class should be deconstructed after use.
3. Each class should not load every other class and should act independently unless other classes are required for it to function. IE, models will be default extend the MYSQL class but every other class is individual in its own right.
4. The ability to add new custom classes and the newly rebuilt PHP5 classes which I have built. It should be able to work along side existing minified CI classes. Core classes will be added and then users can either use a special call  to load CI classes or minify the classes they require from CI and then chuck them in my lite classes folder.
5. Classes should be small and to the point. If needed they should be broken down into subclasses which extend the parent class. For instance, MYSQL core classes could have SELECT, WHERE, LIKE and so on as core functions and a sub-class for complicated sub query generation as they wont be needed every time.
6. The ability to follow strict MVC format and also the ability to ignore this procedure when the use OF MVC is just too complex for the task at hand. IE, if we only want to display a JSON array which is done in the controller using a JSON class then why not just output it there and DIE().
7. When using it with AJAX and IFRAMES we need to keep response times for core functionality in the ms rather than CI’s seconds it takes for standard calls.
8. Documentation to be separate from the code so that the pages are lean and free of mess.
9. Functions should be as close to CI ’s current way of thinking as this is meant to help users keep to one way of doing things and any improvements should be worked to work along side the original so code does not have to be reworked but new code can use new features in the plugin.
10. Had to make it to ten, not sure I have a ten but this is for every one to use and is open source.

My thinking……

My biggest grip with CI is that its php4 first off but secondly is the shear size of the base classes and preloaded / loaded classes makes simple ajax calls far to bloated. I know if you load nothing and go for simple simple it might get a bit faster but nothing nearly as dramatic / responsive enough to speed the app up to a point where I am happy with it.

When thinking how to solve this I decided that PHP5,  clever auto-loading, function, method testing and a touch of alex magic to get a simple plugin that will solve the issue and improve on the CI framework.

Will keep you posted…..

Well thats it for now, keep coming pack for staged realises and tests! previews and progress. Oh and my name for the plugin!