extending php is easier said than done php has evolved to a fullfledged tool consisting of a few megabytes of source code and to hack a system like this quite a few things have to be learned and considered when structuring this chapter we finally decided on the learn by doing approach this is not the most scientific and professional approach but the method thats the most fun and gives the best end results in the following sections youll learn quickly how to get the most basic extensions to work almost instantly after that youll learn about zends advanced api functionality the alternative would have been to try to impart the functionality design tips tricks etc as a whole all at once thus giving a complete look at the big picture before doing anything practical although this is the better method as no dirty hacks have to be made it can be very frustrating as well as energy and timeconsuming which is why weve decided on the direct approach 