Vocab builder script in PHP

Off the cuff suggestions for a simple script?

[Mr_Blobby]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a PHP (or perl) script that will allow the user to review a list of recently learned vocabulary, be able to remember which words the user had problems with and recycle those words again for further training. It's very similar to current vocab building software programs already available, but I can't find any script online.

Since the idea seems simple enough, I'm surprised such a script hasn't turned up in my searches. Such a script is needed for an English class website to review new words learned. Does anyone have any suggestions?

The alternative is to pay a coder to build an application for me, but I'm genuinely surprised there's no open-source alternative already available. Any ideas?

Cheers
Mr. Blobby

[penders]

Just curious... are you requiring the software to also test the user? ie. Presumably say the word and get typed response? Or is this an addition that requires integrating into a current system?

[Mr_Blobby]

Hi Panders,

Thanks for responding. I'm looking for a server side script with similar capabilities to this Flash demo shown on an IELTS website

<snip>

I don't require the software to say the word (although that it a great idea) for now, just to be able to receive a list of recently learned words and definitions and randomly test them. It may be a little more complicated that I originally thought, but ideally when a word is used, an algorithm must then place it in a 'pile' of recently learnt words for later testing in a month or so. Wrongly guessed words aren't passed to the latter pile until the user has guess them correctly. The principle is called the Leitner system of memorization and a number of online services already do this. The best I've found is <snip> and <snip>. I've settled for the latter is it allows me to input my words/definitions (as flashcards) and then generate multiple choice quizzes etc... that I can embed on a website. However, a server side hosted script would be better than a remotely hosted one. I've really hunted for such a script for a while without success. In the meantime at least these two website meet most of my needs.

Hope that all helps and thanks again for taking an interest.

Best Wishes

[edited by: eelixduppy at 4:01 pm (utc) on Feb 22, 2010]
[edit reason] removed urls [/edit]

[Mr_Blobby]

Why the hell has the admin removed my URLs? They were neither spam nor some lame attempt at advertising. They were there simply to demonstrate the question I was asking of this board. The admin needs to buck up and offer an explanation other than simply "URLs removed." I find this behavior disgraceful given that the URL button on the message input form is there to demo and I was not abusing its functionality.

Angry WW user.

[Readie]

You're not allowed to post URLs to except as links to webmasterworld, or some acceptable references. see:

[webmasterworld.com...]

From the charter:

References:
www.php.net [php.net]
www.apache.org [apache.org]
www.mysql.com [mysql.com]
www.w3.org [w3.org]
Learning PHP [webmasterworld.com]

-----

Allowable site examples:

• any site from References above
  
• If a link to an open-source repository is needed, sourceforge.net, phpclasses.org, hotscripts.com, freshmeat.net are acceptable.
  

Unacceptable site examples:

• john-doe-homemade-scripts.net
  
• someone’s-personal-site.com
  
• we-will-host-your-website.com

[tangor]

There are a few teaching/educator level quiz programs out there which might be modified to suit your purpose. Look at those for interface and presentation then code the back end to retain errors and present at a later time.

[Mr_Blobby]

Thanks Readie and tangor for your helpful advice. I've read the charter and the terms of use page and understand WW URL conditions. However, I do feel that the link I posted to an IELTS website was for reference use only as were the flashcard websites I quoted. Perhaps posting in another forum would have been better, though I was looking for a PHP script that performed as shown in the examples I quoted so as I see it, only websites that refer directly to scripts are allowed and websites that acts as an example for a question are not. This surely makes asking questions difficult on this forum if one cannot ably write in words what it is they need to ask (a picture better than a 1000 words and all that).

Thanks once again for your answers. It's unlikely I will use this forum again for non-coding related questions.

[Mr_Blobby]

@tangor
Thanks for your suggestion. I've looked at numerous teaching/educator quiz programs but almost all are OS based programs and not server side programs. I've tried to install a few miscellaneous programs but most were defunct, old or produced too many errors to wade through. I'll probably stick with an online service that offers embedding until I can find a better alternative. Thanks again.

[Readie]

It's unlikely I will use this forum again for non-coding related questions.

I have recieved some good advice here for general ways-to-do-things - the problem here is it's quite a difficult task to accomplish for multiple users without having a seriously bloated database.

All the thoughts I've had on this matter are either unfeasable, or beyond my capability to either explain or code. And I consider myself to be very good at solving logical problems - although less good at implementing the solution admittedly :)

[tangor]

Mr_Blobby... AFAIK there are no scripts which do exactly what you ask. Take those quiz scripts and find those few that are not OS specific. Though those standalone apps can be instructive as well. Engineer your own script. There might well be a market for same if undertaken. But I can say that those quiz scripts and applications are your guide on how to implement, and reverse engineering the logic of those programs will eventually get you were you want to go.

As for this forum, answers come from code samples submitted where one has made the effort and hit a brick wall. This forum does not provide ready-to-use scripts. Education, minor tricks and tweaks, different ways of approaching a problem... that is what this forum is about.

[Mr_Blobby]

Thanks for the reply. Sure, I respect WW as it's proven invaluable with some of my own coding projects in the past, however, in this once instance shortage of time prompted that I ask if anyone knew any off the cuff. Still thanks for your clarification and for taking the time to answer my post.