-
Register
-
contact
-
Tutorials
-
homepage
-
course
-
Sign In
Inspiration
As a passionate learner and developer from Bhutan, I wanted to create an accessible, simple, and functional online learning platform where Bhutanese students could: Learn from curated tutorials and courses. Track their learning progress. Easily access free resources like all link is GeeksforGeeks, Skillshare, GreatLearning, etc. Get inspired to build real-world projects from home.
What it does
During this project, I learned and implemented several real-world technologies and skills: PHP: Managing user login/logout and ensuring secure access. MySQL Queries: Counting unique users, views per content type, and implementing search/filter logic. Frontend Design (HTML + CSS + Bootstrap): Building modern, mobile-responsive layouts. JavaScript Search Logic: Redirecting and fetching content via search input. Dynamic Tracking System: Implementing student_viewlink.php to track user activity using query strings and MySQL inserts.
How we built it
| Frontend | HTML, CSS, js,Bootstrap 5, FontAwesome
| Backend | PHP
| Database | MySQL
| Hosting | localhost
Challenges we ran into
Session Handling & User Access One of the first challenges was ensuring that only logged-in users could access certain pages like index.php, student_viewlink.php, and more. We had to implement strict session checks and proper redirects to join.php if the session wasn't set. php if (!isset($_SESSION['email'])) { header("Location: join.php"); exit(); } 🔁 Duplicate View Entries When students clicked the same tutorial or course multiple times, duplicate view records were inserted into the database. Although this helps track total views, we considered whether we should:
Limit one view per user per resource per day. Add timestamps for better tracking. 🎨 Styling Across Devices Creating a responsive layout that looked clean on both desktop and mobile was tricky at first. We used Bootstrap’s grid system, but: Some text overlapped on small screens. Image sizing and card alignment took time to perfect.
🌐 use server localhost 🔎 Search Redirection We implemented a search box on the homepage that redirects to search_results.php. Making this work across different file types (HTML and PHP) and linking it with the JavaScript file (sndex.js) required careful coordination and testing.
🧪 Testing & Debugging Because we were using a mix of PHP, JavaScript, and MySQL: Debugging required checking both frontend and backend logic. PHP errors were sometimes hidden without error_reporting(E_ALL) and ini_set('display_errors', 1).
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Fully Functional Student Tracking System We successfully built a system where every click/view by a student is recorded. This allows us to:
Track tutorial and course popularity.
Count unique student activity.
Lay the foundation for personalized dashboards in the future.
✅ 2. Seamless Login Session Management Our platform ensures that only authenticated users can access protected pages. With PHP sessions and redirects, we kept the platform secure and user-specific.
✅ 3. Clean, Responsive Frontend Design Using Bootstrap 5 and custom CSS, we created a layout that works well across:
Desktops 💻
Tablets 📱
Mobile phones 📞
The layout feels modern and easy to navigate for learners of all levels.
✅ 4. Integrated Real Learning Resources link Instead of reinventing the wheel, we embedded trusted external learning platforms like:
GeeksforGeeks
Skillshare
GreatLearning
These links are tracked and open dynamically using student_viewlink.php.
✅ 5. Real-Time Stats on Homepage We show real-time values like:
Total tutorials viewed
Total courses viewed
Unique students
Static instructor count
These stats create trust and encourage new users to explore the platform.
✅ 6. Search Feature With Smart Redirection We built a search box that:
Accepts keywords from the user
Redirects to search_results.php
Shows only matching tutorials and courses
It makes the site feel interactive and scalable.
✅ 7. Successfully Deployed Online We deployed the complete PHP-MySQL platform on InfinityFree, making it publicly accessible and testable.
What we learned
Most importantly, we learned how all pieces — frontend + backend + database + localhost — come together to build a complete, functioning web application.
What's next for Pocketcode
📌 2. Instructor Management System We want to introduce:
Instructor login
Ability for instructors to add new tutorials/courses
View stats on their own content
Moderate comments and feedback
This would transform Pocketcode into a multi-user education platform.
