How to begin?

This is step-by-step guide to starting a C# to PHP translation.

1. Start new Visual Studio Project

Create new project in Visual Studio. In option window choose „.NET Framework 4.5” platform and „.NET Library” project type.

2. Add Lang.Php reference

Lang.Php library is available on nuget so you can install it using „Package Manager Console” (menu Tools => Library Package Manager => Package Manager Console) . Type

install-package Lang.Php

1	install-package Lang.Php

3. Prepare sample C# code

Rename Class1.cs into IndexPage.cs and modify code:

3.1 Add Lang.Php to using list

Add following line to using list

using Lang.Php;

1	using Lang.Php;

This lets you easy access to Lang.Php namespace.

3.2 Derive your class from PhpDummy

Derive your class from Lang.Php.PhpDummy base class. This is C# wrapper around well-known PHP functions like echo, htmlspecialchars, number_format and many more. Methods declared in PhpDummy class are as similar to their PHP sisters as possible so if you have PHP programming experience you will feel like in your home.

3.3 Decorate class with PageAttribute

Decorate your class using PageAttribute with „index” as parameter

[Page("index")]

1	[Page("index")]

Class decorated with PageAttribute will be converted as normal class. One extra action is performed: Invocation of static method „PhpMain” is appended to php output file (see next point). Attribute parameter lets you to specify php file name, „index.php” in this case.

3.4 Create PhpMain method

Cs2php compiler expects that class decorated with PageAttribute also contains static method „PhpMain”. This method is PHP page starting point.

Add method with following code

public static void PhpMain()
{
    echo("Hello C# to PHP world.");
}

public static void PhpMain()

{

echo("Hello C# to PHP world.");

}

Your class should looks like this:

4. Compile code

You have do download and build cs2php compiler by yourself. Source code is available on GitHub. Binary version is currently not distributed due to Microsoft Rosylin licence limitations. See FAQ for details.

cs2php is command line util so open MS Windows console and run compiler with 2 parameters

path to Visual Studio project
output folder

Assume we’re in project folder type

c:\cs2php\cs2php.exe MyFirstPhpCode.csproj c:\cs2php\output\MyFirstPhpCode\

1	c:\cs2php\cs2php.exe MyFirstPhpCode.csproj c:\cs2php\output\MyFirstPhpCode\

c:\cs2php\cs2php.exe is full path to compiler. Change if it is located in other location. Compare compiler messages with following:

Go into output folder (c:\cs2php\output\MyFirstPhpCode\ in the example) . You should find „index.php” file with following code.

Congratulations ! Think C#, make PHP.

Comments

comments