time.txt

In order to best use the time that I had to spend on this project (without using a framework), I decided to use a router
package and Twig, for templating my views. However, the structure of my project is inspired by frameworks such as Silex.

The public facing directory, /web contains an index.php that includes the bootstrap file, /app.php. In here controllers
are loaded alongside the parsing of the configuration file /config/config.php which contains database passwords etc.
Controllers are passed to individual routes, where the relevant controller methods are called.

I decided that the project itself would comprise only of a single page and allow the user to quickly add their RSS feeds.
I also took a different approach to creating users. Instead of requiring users to register and login and to make it as
simple as possible, this app instantly creates a user when the page is visited (storing no personal data, just an id,
and a random 'user hash'), and stores an (encrypted) 'user hash' in a cookie. This has obvious disadvantages, such as
only being able to use the app on one computer. Future work for the project would offer the user the ability to save
their rss feeds to a more permanent service through, either registering an account, or even just entering their
'user hash' to retrieve their feeds.

When starting the project, I spent a lot of time writing tests to try and define how the project should function. I did
find, however, that I had to go back and completely re-write some tests as my ideas evolved. Also, validating that an RSS
feed was an RSS feed also took a lot of research because of the different types or standards of feed.

In order to keep the user experience simple, I used AJAX to allow the user to add, browse, read or remove feeds on a
single page without having it reload.

Overall the project was completed within a week, but I hope it can be appreciated that I am approaching the end of my
final year of study, so I had to use my time carefully in order to maintain other academic priorities.