Blogging Platform Project In Php

Creating a Blogging Platform involves several components, including a MySQL database schema, file structure, layout design using Bootstrap 5, and complete PHP scripts for user authentication and management. Below is a comprehensive guide to help you set up your system.

Project Introduction

The Blogging Platform is a web application designed to facilitate the creation, management, and sharing of blog content. It provides a user-friendly interface for authors, editors, and administrators to publish posts, manage comments, categorize content, and interact with readers. The platform supports user authentication, allowing different roles with varying permissions, ensuring a secure and organized environment for content creation and management.

Project Objectives

To develop a robust database schema that supports user management, post creation, and content categorization.
To implement a secure authentication system for users with different roles (admin, author, editor, reader).
To create a responsive and intuitive user interface for seamless navigation and content interaction.
To enable users to create, edit, and delete posts, comments, and media efficiently.
To provide a notification system for user interactions and updates.
To ensure the platform is scalable and maintainable for future enhancements.

Project Modules

User Management: Handles user registration, login, role assignment, and profile management.
Post Management: Allows users to create, edit, delete, and view blog posts with options for drafts and published statuses.
Comment System: Enables readers to leave comments on posts, with moderation features for approval and deletion.
Category and Tag Management: Facilitates the organization of posts through categories and tags for better content discovery.
Media Management: Provides functionality for users to upload and manage media files associated with posts.
Notification System: Sends alerts to users regarding comments, post updates, and other relevant activities.
Admin Dashboard: A dedicated interface for administrators to manage users, posts, comments, and overall platform settings.

1. MySQL Database Schema


CREATE DATABASE blogging_platform;
USE blogging_platform;
-- Table for users
CREATE TABLE users (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    username VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
    password VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    email VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
    role ENUM('admin', 'author', 'editor', 'reader') DEFAULT 'reader',
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);
-- Table for posts
CREATE TABLE posts (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    user_id INT NOT NULL,
    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    content TEXT NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    status ENUM('draft', 'published') DEFAULT 'draft',
    FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
);
-- Table for comments
CREATE TABLE comments (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    post_id INT NOT NULL,
    user_id INT NOT NULL,
    content TEXT NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    status ENUM('pending', 'approved', 'deleted') DEFAULT 'pending',
    FOREIGN KEY (post_id) REFERENCES posts(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
    FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
);
-- Table for categories
CREATE TABLE categories (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);
-- Table for post categories
CREATE TABLE post_categories (
    post_id INT NOT NULL,
    category_id INT NOT NULL,
    PRIMARY KEY (post_id, category_id),
    FOREIGN KEY (post_id) REFERENCES posts(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
    FOREIGN KEY (category_id) REFERENCES categories(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
);
-- Table for tags
CREATE TABLE tags (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);
-- Table for post tags
CREATE TABLE post_tags (
    post_id INT NOT NULL,
    tag_id INT NOT NULL,
    PRIMARY KEY (post_id, tag_id),
    FOREIGN KEY (post_id) REFERENCES posts(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
    FOREIGN KEY (tag_id) REFERENCES tags(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
);
-- Table for media
CREATE TABLE media (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    user_id INT NOT NULL,
    file_path VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
);
-- Table for notifications
CREATE TABLE notifications (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    user_id INT NOT NULL,
    message TEXT NOT NULL,
    is_read BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
);

2. File and Folder Structure


blogging_platform/
│
├── config/
│   └── db.php
│
├── public/
│   ├── index.php
│   ├── login.php
│   ├── register.php
│   ├── dashboard.php
│   ├── create_post.php
│   ├── edit_post.php
│   ├── view_post.php
│   ├── comments.php
│   ├── categories.php
│   ├── tags.php
│   ├── media.php
│   ├── notifications.php
│   └── admin_dashboard.php
│
├── includes/
│   ├── header.php
│   ├── footer.php
│   └── functions.php
│
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── styles.css
│   ├── js/
│   │   └── scripts.js
│   └── images/
│
└── vendor/
    └── (Bootstrap and other libraries)

3. Layout Based Design with Bootstrap 5

Header (includes/header.php)


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.1.3/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="assets/css/styles.css">
    <title>Blogging Platform</title>
</head>
<body>
 <div class="container">
        <header class="my-4">
            <h1>Blogging Platform</h1>
        </header>
        <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
            <div class="container-fluid">
                <a class="navbar-brand" href="index.php">Home</a>
                <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target="#navbarNav" aria-controls="navbarNav" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
                    <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
                </button>
                <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
                    <ul class="navbar-nav">
                        <li class="nav-item">
                            <a class="nav-link" href="create_post.php">Create Post</a>
                        </li>
                        <li class="nav-item">
                            <a class="nav-link" href="categories.php">Categories</a>
                        </li>
                        <li class="nav-item">
                            <a class="nav-link" href="tags.php">Tags</a>
                        </li>
                        <li class="nav-item">
                            <a class="nav-link" href="media.php">Media</a>
                        </li>
                        <li class="nav-item">
                            <a class="nav-link" href="notifications.php">Notifications</a>
                        </li>
                        <li class="nav-item">
                            <a class="nav-link" href="login.php">Login</a>
                        </li>
                        <li class="nav-item">
                            <a class="nav-link" href="register.php">Register</a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
            </div>
        </nav>
        <main class="my-4">

Footer (includes/footer.php)


        </main>
        <footer class="text-center my-4">
            <p>© 2023 Blogging Platform. All rights reserved.</p>
        </footer>
    </div>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.1.3/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

4. PHP Code for User Authentication

Registration (public/register.php)


<?php
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
    $username = $_POST['username'];
    $email = $_POST['email'];
    $password = password_hash($_POST['password'], PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
    $role = $_POST['role'];
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO users (username, email, password, role) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)");
    $stmt->bind_param("ssss", $username, $email, $password, $role);
    $stmt->execute();
    $stmt->close();
    header("Location: login.php");
}
?>
<form method="POST" action="">
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="username" class="form-label">Username</label>
        <input type="text" class="form-control" id="username" name="username" required>
    </div>
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="email" class="form-label">Email</label>
        <input type="email" class="form-control" id="email" name="email" required>
    </div>
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="password" class="form-label">Password</label>
        <input type="password" class="form-control" id="password" name="password" required>
    </div>
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="role" class="form-label">Role</label>
        <select class="form-select" id="role" name="role">
            <option value="reader">Reader</option>
            <option value="author">Author</option>
            <option value="editor">Editor</option>
            <option value="admin">Admin</option>
        </select>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Register</button>
</form>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
    $username = $_POST['username'];
    $password = $_POST['password'];
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?");
    $stmt->bind_param("s", $username);
    $stmt->execute();
    $result = $stmt->get_result();
    $user = $result->fetch _assoc();
    if ($user && password_verify($password, $user['password'])) {
        $_SESSION['user_id'] = $user['id'];
        $_SESSION['role'] = $user['role'];
        header("Location: dashboard.php");
    } else {
        echo "Invalid credentials.";
    }
}
?>
<form method="POST" action="">
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="username" class="form-label">Username</label>
        <input type="text" class="form-control" id="username" name="username" required>
    </div>
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="password" class="form-label">Password</label>
        <input type="password" class="form-control" id="password" name="password" required>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Login</button>
</form>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

5. Additional PHP Scripts

Dashboard (public/dashboard.php)


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if (!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    header("Location: login.php");
    exit();
}
$user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("i", $user_id);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$user = $result->fetch_assoc();
?>
<h2>Welcome, <?php echo $user['username']; ?></h2>
<p>Your role: <?php echo ucfirst($user['role']); ?></p>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

Create Post (public/create_post.php)


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if (!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    header("Location: login.php");
    exit();
}
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
    $user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
    $title = $_POST['title'];
    $content = $_POST['content'];
    $status = $_POST['status'];
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO posts (user_id, title, content, status) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)");
    $stmt->bind_param("isss", $user_id, $title, $content, $status);
    $stmt->execute();
    $stmt->close();
    header("Location: dashboard.php");
}
?>
<form method="POST" action="">
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="title" class="form-label">Title</label>
        <input type="text" class="form-control" id="title" name="title" required>
    </div>
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="content" class="form-label">Content</label>
        <textarea class="form-control" id="content" name="content" rows="5" required></textarea>
    </div>
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="status" class="form-label">Status</label>
        <select class="form-select" id="status" name="status">
            <option value="draft">Draft</option>
            <option value="published">Published</option>
        </select>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Create Post</button>
</form>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

View Post (public/view_post.php)


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if (isset($_GET['id'])) {
    $post_id = $_GET['id'];
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT posts.*, users.username FROM posts JOIN users ON posts.user_id = users.id WHERE posts.id = ?");
    $stmt->bind_param("i", $post_id);
    $stmt->execute();
    $result = $stmt->get_result();
    $post = $result->fetch_assoc();
}
?>
<h2><?php echo $post['title']; ?></h2>
<p>By <?php echo $post['username']; ?> on <?php echo $post['created_at']; ?></p>
<div><?php echo nl2br($post['content']); ?></div>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

Comments (public/comments.php)


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if (isset($_POST['post_id']) && isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    $post_id = $_POST['post_id'];
    $user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
    $content = $_POST['content'];
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO comments (post_id, user_id, content) VALUES (?, ?, ?)");
    $stmt->bind_param("iis", $post_id, $user_id, $content);
    $stmt->execute();
    $stmt->close();
}
if (isset($_GET['post_id'])) {
    $post_id = $_GET['post_id'];
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT comments.*, users.username FROM comments JOIN users ON comments.user_id = users.id WHERE comments.post_id = ? AND comments.status = 'approved'");
    $stmt->bind_param("i", $post_id);
    $stmt->execute();
    $result = $stmt->get_result();
    $comments = $result->fetch_all(MYSQLI_ASSOC);
}
?>
<h3>Comments</h3>
<form method="POST" action="">
    <input type="hidden" name="post_id" value="<?php echo $post_id; ?>">
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="content" class="form-label">Leave a Comment</label>
        <textarea class="form-control" id="content" name="content" rows="3" required></textarea>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Submit</button>
</form>
<ul class="list-group mt-3">
    <?php foreach ($comments as $comment): ?>
    <li class="list-group-item">
        <strong><?php echo $comment['username']; ?></strong>: <?php echo $comment['content']; ?>
    </li>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

Categories (public/categories.php)


<?php
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM categories");
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$categories = $result->fetch_all(MYSQLI_ASSOC);
?>
<h3>Categories</h3>
<ul class="list-group">
    <?php foreach ($categories as $category): ?>
    <li class="list-group-item"><?php echo $category['name']; ?></li>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

Tags (public/tags.php)


<?php
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM tags");
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$tags = $result->fetch_all(MYSQLI_ASSOC);
?>
<h3>Tags</h3>
<ul class="list-group">
    <?php foreach ($tags as $tag): ?>
    <li class="list-group-item"><?php echo $tag['name']; ?></li>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

Media (public/media.php)


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if (isset($_POST['upload'])) {
    $user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
    $file_path = 'uploads/' . basename($_FILES['media']['name']);
    move_uploaded_file($_FILES['media']['tmp_name'], $file_path);
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO media (user_id, file_path) VALUES (?, ?)");
    $stmt->bind_param("is", $user_id, $file_path);
    $stmt->execute();
    $stmt->close();
}
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM media WHERE user_id = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("i", $_SESSION['user_id']);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$media_files = $result->fetch_all(MYSQLI_ASSOC);
?>
<h3>Media Library</h3>
<form method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data">
    <div class="mb-3">
        <label for="media" class="form-label">Upload Media</label>
        <input type="file" class="form-control" id="media" name="media" required>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" name="upload" class="btn btn-primary">Upload</button>
</form>
<h4>Your Media Files</h4>
<ul class="list-group mt-3">
    <?php foreach ($media_files as $file): ?>
    <li class="list-group-item">
        <a href="<?php echo $file['file_path']; ?>" target="_blank"><?php echo basename($file['file_path']); ?></a>
    </li>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

Notifications (public/notifications.php)


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
$user_id = $_SESSION[' user_id'];
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM notifications WHERE user_id = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC");
$stmt->bind_param("i", $user_id);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$notifications = $result->fetch_all(MYSQLI_ASSOC);
?>
<h3>Your Notifications</h3>
<ul class="list-group">
    <?php foreach ($notifications as $notification): ?>
    <li class="list-group-item <?php echo $notification['is_read'] ? 'list-group-item-secondary' : ''; ?>">
        <?php echo $notification['message']; ?>
        <small class="text-muted"><?php echo $notification['created_at']; ?></small>
    </li>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>

Admin Dashboard (public/admin_dashboard.php)


<?php
session_start();
require '../config/db.php';
require '../includes/header.php';
if (!isset($_SESSION['user_id']) || $_SESSION['role'] !== 'admin') {
    header("Location: login.php");
    exit();
}
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) AS user_count FROM users");
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$user_count = $result->fetch_assoc()['user_count'];
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) AS post_count FROM posts");
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
$post_count = $result->fetch_assoc()['post_count'];
?>
<h2>Admin Dashboard</h2>
<p>Total Users: <?php echo $user_count; ?></p>
<p>Total Posts: <?php echo $post_count; ?></p>
<?php require '../includes/footer.php'; ?>