PDRater – PD calculators

Here’s a (simplified) overview of how my permanent disability/impairment and workers’ compensation benefits calculators work. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I wrote these website calculators using javascript, PHP, MySQL, and AJAX.

In a recent post, I created a really simple test for cell phones using the above languages. Here’s what was happening:

• The user clicks the button “Cell Test.”
• The javascript embedded in the button detects the “click.”
• The javascript embedded in the button then tells an AJAX program that the button was clicked.
• AJAX sends a little bit of information to the web server – saying that the user clicked that button.
• The PHP program on the server is notified that the button was clicked.
• The PHP program checks a MySQL table to see what it should happen when that button is clicked.
• The MySQL table returns the answer, what should happen when a button is clicked, to the PHP program.
• The PHP program takes the answer from the MySQL table and sends it back to the AJAX program.
• The AJAX program takes that information and, using a little bit of javascript, displays the answer in your web browser.

Easy!

A friend sent me an e-mail letting me know their Verizon LG 9400 phone works with the calculator test. (Thanks Patty!) According to Verizon’s site this phone is out of stock.

FYI, when I need to research a phone, I use PhoneScoop.com. I find it a handy way to search/compare features. My own phone… has seen better days. I’m thinking the LG Dare, but we’ll see.

If your phone does not already work with PDRater.com, have you tried using a different web browser on your phone? Everyone knows Internet Explorer (sorry, no link :P ), most people know about FireFox (my own browser of choice), but there’s also Opera and OperaMini. OperaMini can be installed on some phones as an alternative to the factor web browser. From playing around with the OperaMini demo page, it looks like OperaMini will work with my calculators.

Almost completely off topic, have you seen the iPhone simulator? Sure, it doesn’t play music or make phone calls, but if you need a fix or want to test out some calculators (ahem), it’s a pretty cool website.[1]

1. Do people even use iPhones for telephone calls anymore? That’s sooo analog. . . . [↩]

Thus far, I’ve discovered only two cell phones that can take advantage of my calculators:

• LG Dare, Verizon
• Apple iPhone, AT&T
• LG Voyager, LG enV, LG enV II
• Blackberry anything
• Palm anything

I’ve only tested the iPhone with the version of this site launched on September 17, 2007. However, it should still work.

Do you have a cell phone with a web browser? Click here:

If you see a message appear, your phone will probably work with the calculators.