a) has confirmed that writing extensions without recompiling PHP is possible
b) have provided sample code that requires recompilation of PHP
The only code that *requires* recompiling PHP is something which patches the core or the engine. Simple extensions don't do this. Certainly not the "hello world" examples you're asking for. The *suggestion* in http://www.zend.com/php/internals/ to recompile PHP with --enable-debug and --enable-maintainer-zts is aimed at making development easier and less prone to problems.
As a Linux newbie but experienced Windows programmer I do not have
the arcane knowledge to infer from the recompile-PHP sample how to
modify it to generate a must-recompile-php sample to a standalone extension.
None of the samples provided are "must-recompile", you're mistaken.
I am getting to grips with .so (shared object) libraries in Unix, but I am in the
dark and my effort would be greatly expedited by someone knowledgeable
in the art.
They're no different that DLLs, don't let the name scare you.
I therefore re-interate my request for a complete walkthrough for writing
an extension that does not require recompilation of php but can be treated
as a simple external standalone project, for later inclusion into the Apache/PHP
module by dynamic linking.
http://www.zend.com/php/internals/
If you followed the instructions you wound up with a shared module.
I have installed and am running Suse 9.3, with Apache 2.0 and Php 5, all
from the Suse distribution. I have downloaded the source for Php 5.1.1, but while
I have compiled such (in the course of the build-extension-with-recompile) I do not
wish to rely on having to recompile PHP every time I wish to build an extension.
Nor do you.
You're asking for the voice of experience to tell you how you should be designing new extensions. That voice is saying "Setup a proper build environment". A proper build environment means recompiling PHP *ONCE* to make sure you have all the tools available in all the right places. Once you have those tools in place you can bulid your extensions are stand-alone shared objects by following instructions.
I have not therefore attempted to replace the distribution-Php with the compiled-Php.
Your loss.
At this point, my need for such assistance is critical, as a client project is stalled for lack of it.
I appreciate that money is a dirty word in Linux, but time and money are being wasted
for want of these answers, so that I would be more than happy to provide £100 for the
first proven and effective replies in each of these categories (all of which may happily
be 'scooped' by or paid to a single person):
I don't want your money. The anger and petulance you've shown while asking for "help" is an embarrasment to the community.
i) a walkthrough of the exact steps + sample code to write an extension without
requiring re-compilation of Php and without access to Php source code
ii) as above but with access to Php source code
iii) as above (either i or ii) but with instructions to allow the project to be initiated
and compiled within the KDE development environment
Resulting object (presumably .so) to be accessible in a distribution release of Apache/Php
with only minor modification of a client's Apache/Php config settings.
http://www.zend.com/php/internals/
Get rid of your incorrect assumptions and read it again. Everything you asked for is there.
-Sara