I want to learn php programming. How to learn PHP or any other programming language

During this course, you will master the basics of the PHP language and explore the capabilities of this language. This interactive PHP course is designed to teach beginners and contains detailed text and video instructions - choose what you like best.

Everything in the course is studied in great detail - the training begins with how PHP works in general. Describes modern tools and approaches. And, of course, homework is given, which I personally check. Here we will install a local web server, and learn how to work in a code editor, and, of course, write our first programs in PHP.

This course will allow you to master the basic principles of writing code, which no future developer can do without. Here you will receive the necessary foundation that will allow you to move on, studying more interesting and complex topics in programming.

Course program

Level 1: Introduction to PHP for Beginners

Level 2. Setting up the environment

Level 3: Development Basics

Level 4. Loops and Arrays

Level 5: User Interaction

Level 6. Working with files

Level 7. A little more practice

Level 8. Conclusion

Why does a novice developer need PHP?

Knowing HTML gives you an idea of ​​how to create websites. And it even gives you the opportunity to independently develop Internet resources. However, the use of this markup language is limited due to the static nature of the pages created with its help. In particular, it is used in most cases for the development of business card websites. The thing is that if you need to make any changes, you need to edit each page separately, and if the resource has several dozen or hundreds of them, such a process will not only be tedious, but also drawn out over time.

To optimize site administration, you can use the PHP language (acronym: Hypertext Preprocessor) - a scripting programming language that allows you to create dynamically populated web pages. Its use makes it possible to make the resource truly interactive, and the site management process simple and less expensive in terms of effort. Online PHP lessons for beginners from WebShake help you master the basics of a scripting language from scratch, learn how to create dynamic resources that are easy to modify and maintain.

Our online PHP video and text lessons are designed to be understandable to every user who wants to learn web development. And the homework assignments located at the end of each topic will allow you to consolidate the acquired knowledge and hone their application in practice.

Advantages of the PHP language

Our interactive PHP course is distinguished primarily by its practical focus. The rich functionality of the PHP language for beginners allows you to effectively solve a wide range of problems. And ease of use makes it possible to do it quickly and with a minimum of effort. Our free online PHP course for beginners helps you master this scripting language, which is the most popular today and is used to create a huge number of Internet resources (including popular social networks and blogs).

The traditional nature of PHP (by borrowing a number of constructs from C and Perl and combining the advantages of these languages), along with the intuitive accessibility and versatility of the syntax, makes the learning process easy (especially for people familiar with the basics of writing code). If, in the process of getting acquainted with the course, some difficulties still arise, I am ready to answer any questions that can be asked in the comments to the PHP lessons online.

The high speed of script execution increases the efficiency and relevance of the PHP language, and the ability to integrate with other languages ​​(in particular, HTML, JavaScript) allows you to customize Hypertext Preprocessor to the needs of a specific web developer.

PHP Features

Website development using this scripting language allows you to:

• Reduce the website's resource requirements. The web application takes up less space, becomes “lighter”, and therefore opens faster.
• Significantly simplify the process of managing an Internet page and making changes. Static sites do not meet the realities of today, as they simply do not keep up with what is happening around them. Failure to keep up ultimately affects attendance.
• Provide effective analysis of the site’s operation (keep traffic statistics, etc.).

The effectiveness of Hypertext Preprocessor is appreciated by the largest companies. Our online course on PHP basics for beginners allows you to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge for a successful career in web development without being distracted from work or study.

Interactive approach

The method of presenting the material being studied also plays an important role. For example, dry technical text, no matter how useful it may be, is very difficult to understand. That is why, along with it, it is necessary to use multimedia files, and in particular video materials. Videos with the participation of real people involve several senses at once (hearing and vision), and also allow you to repeat in practice what was just demonstrated on the screen.

The interactive approach helps make the learning process more interesting and fruitful. Along with this, the web development courses include illustrations and useful tips, as well as practical exercises and PHP lessons for beginners. All this ensures a systematic presentation of the material, making it much easier for beginners to navigate HTML and PHP.

Free training courses are also good because they allow you to try your hand at programming and understand your passion for programming. In addition, this approach helps to decide on the language, which is extremely important for obtaining a new specialty.

RSS Twitter, comments or email.

How I learned PHP

In 2006, I needed one script for one of my sites. The script was quite unique, so I couldn’t find it in search engines (it is still not publicly available). Only on one site did I come across a similar script, which was sold for $20. I couldn’t afford to spend so much on it then.

And then I decided to write it myself. Since theory was not interesting to me, I started straight away with programming. I looked at the examples, tore out pieces of code from them and inserted them into my script.

The main difficulty was that my script required storing data somewhere. I chose the MySQL database. That's why, by the way, I still don't work well with text files.

Now, when looking at the written code, you can’t help but smile. At that time I didn’t even know what the difference was between $_GET[‘id’] and $id (programmers will understand). And at the time of finishing the work I didn’t know. But the main thing is that the creak worked. The most interesting thing is that it still hangs and works on my SDL.

The script needs to be completely rewritten, but it is easier to write it again. And doing this is a waste (and I don’t see much point). The only thing I did after all these years was improve the security.

Then there were other scripts, interest in PHP increased. It was just fun to write code. I could go deeper into the language and become a programmer. But I never wanted to be one. So I stopped. And now I write only for myself. You can go further.

Practice

Get straight to practice. Set mini problems and try to solve them. To begin with, put it very small. For example, calculate and display how much 3+2 is.

$number1 = 3;
$number2 = 2;
$otvet = $chislo1 + $chislo2;
echo $answer;

This code can be shortened several times (to one line), but in the form I wrote, something already becomes clear. For example, that the echo garbage displays the response on the screen. Now guess how to calculate this example - 3+7*2 (you can write in the comments).

You can start with these examples. Or it could be more complicated. From the guest book, for example. By the way, does anyone remember what this is? 🙂 The script is actually very simple, so it is very suitable for learning the language.

How to write a guest book

We will store messages in the MySQL database. To do this, we need to create just one table in it with the following fields: user name, e-mail, message date and the message itself.

All that remains is to write in PHP to display messages from the database and add new ones. We look for a solution in textbooks, examples, etc. You can enter the query “how to output data from MySQL” into Yandex or Google.

Or ask on the forums - “I’m writing a guest book. I store the data in a MySQL database. The fields are as follows: username, e-mail, date of message and the message itself. Tell me how to display all messages on the page?” In fact, the question is very simple and you can find the answer yourself.

I suggest something like this:

The required script -> Breaking down problems and setting them -> Solving problems using textbooks, examples, forums, etc. -> Reading the theory, understanding the written code and changing it if necessary -> The script is ready

I can recommend these resources for learning the language:

On forums, do not ask general questions like “How to write a guest book?” Ask specific questions like “I’m writing such and such a script. Here's what I sketched. Why is this not displayed here? How to do this? Explain this” (an example of a question was given in the paragraph about the guest book).

If you have any questions, ask!

———————-

There were thoughts about writing a couple of lessons on PHP for beginners. But will this be interesting to you, dear readers?

Please answer two questions in the comments:

1. Do you know any programming languages ​​and which ones?
2. Would you be interested in reading about PHP?

P.S. Having learned PHP you can write a service like TopSape

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Hi all!
In the PHP category, I want to create a beginner's guide to learn the power of the basics PHP programming language. If you are interested, join my lessons.
I promise not to overwhelm you with complex lessons and meaningless theory! Just practice and all with examples.
So, the first lesson will be introductory.

We will look at:
○ What is PHP and what is it for?
○ Where is PHP used
○ How to use PHP
○ What tools are needed to learn PHP

○ What is PHP and what is it for?
PHP (H ypertext P reprocessor - Hypertext Preprocessor) is a programming language. It is one of the easiest programming languages, designed specifically for creating web applications. PHP integrates easily into .

You can do a lot with PHP, for example, protect your website, create an admin panel for your website, order and feedback forms, a forum, viruses, etc.

○ How to use PHP?
For PHP to work, the file must have the extension “*.php”.

The PHP file must be located on the hosting or local server.
In the file itself, the PHP code is specified in this standard way:

?> – closing a block for PHP code

All commands and rules are written inside the block.
Look at the example:

○ What tools do you need to learn PHP?

To learn PHP you will need:

1. Standard Windows Notepad (“Start” => “All Programs” => “Accessories” => “Notepad”) or download the Notepad++ editor for free
2. Download and install local server on the computer

For those who want to learn PHP, we can recommend the excellent "PHP Tutorial" from the site PHP5.RU
The course is in the process of being written, but already there are links to individual lessons from it in various sections of this FAQ. And, believe me, it's worth it.
I can’t help but recommend the wonderful material by Vadim Tkachenko AKA Bizon “Introduction to PHP and MySQL”. It was even published as a separate book, and now, corrected and expanded, it is posted on the website
"PHP in detail." This resource stands apart. Unlike the previous ones, only a sadist can recommend reading it in its entirety - there is too much information there. but that's the beauty of it. This is an inexhaustible resource of information on PHP. The only note is to pay attention to the date the article was written. You shouldn’t really trust anything written before 2003.
Well, and, of course, this site, http://site
If you haven't read it in its entirety yet, be sure to do so. Here are the problems that EVERYONE who writes PHP will face sooner or later.

Software.
To work with PHP under Windows, you need to install the following programs:
- Apache web server (5Mb)
- PHP itself (10Mb)
- optional - MySQL (23Mb).
The setup is very simple. Apache is installed by the installer. Where it asks for your server name and administrator email, you need to write localhost and your email twice.
PHP is unpacked from a zip file into any directory of your choice (standard - C:\PHP) and must be configured as an Apache module. To do this, you need to perform three steps:
- rewrite the php5ts.dll file to the WINDOWS directory
- in the httpd.conf file (C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\conf\httpd.conf), at the very bottom, add two lines
LoadModule php5_module c:/php/php5apache2_2.dll
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .phtml
- restart Apache (using the Apache monitor utility in the tray)
Having completed all these steps, you can put a test php script (let's say it's called test.php and consists of the line

to the directory that is the root of the web server (by default it is C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\htdocs\) and access it by writing the address in the browser
http://127.0.0.1/test.php

When installing MySQL, select Standard configuration, on the next screen click Next, on the next screen - set a password or uncheck "Modify security settings" if you want to leave it blank.
To check, launch the Mysql console: Start - Run and copy into the line that appears
"C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.1\bin\mysql.exe"
or
"C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.1\bin\mysql.exe" -uroot -pPASSWORD
If the console starts, everything works. Type exit to exit and begin configuring mysql support in PHP.
To do this, if you have not done this before, take the file c:\php\php.ini-development and copy it under the name php.ini to the windows directory. Then edit it by removing the semicolon at the beginning of the line
;extension=php_mysql.dll
and editing the extension_dir parameter:
extension_dir = "c:\php\ext\"
at the same time you can fix it right away
short_open_tag = On
so that old scripts and convenient templates work
and do not forget to restart Apache after this, as described above.
Now you can use mysql in your php scripts.

Those for whom these instructions are too complicated can try installing the ready-made Denver-2 kit.
It includes everything you need at once, and much more that is unnecessary. And most importantly, everything works on its own.
Another advantage of Denver is that the volume of the basic set is 10 times smaller than the full versions - only 4 megabytes. And also the fact that its author writes interesting books on PHP.

Also, a VERY sensible article: Installing and configuring Apache+PHP is recommended to all curious people
from the site PHP5.RU. And, of course, sections of the official documentation dedicated to installing the corresponding programs.

Forums.
When studying any case, questions are bound to arise.
It’s convenient to ask questions on forums.
http://phpclub.ru/talk/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=12
PHP club forum. The most visited and famous. Unfortunately, fame serves him badly. Very often, a newbie's question is answered by an even greener newbie, giving a completely wrong answer. However, there are also plenty of professionals there, ready to explain mistakes to both the first and the second.

PHP is also represented in the Russian-language segment of Livejournal
In communities Unfortunately, even though they did not shine with the quality of the material, they were long abandoned by their authors and have finally lost their relevance.
All the best on the PHP topic is listed at the top of the page.
If you know a good site, write about it in the "Feedback" section.

There are disciplines in web programming that any person associated with the World Wide Web must know the basics of. Therefore, one way or another, you will have to learn PHP and MySQL. And if you don’t want to, then greed will still force you:

Why learn php and mysql?

This question can only be asked by those who are completely unfamiliar with the specifics of building a web space and its modern basis. Any person more or less knowledgeable in programming will say that these two disciplines are currently dominant on the World Wide Web. This means that almost the entire Internet is built on the basis of PHP and MySQL:

Although nowadays the importance of PHP has decreased a bit. And all because of the large number of engines, which (ironically) are also built on the basis of this language.

In the modern web world, engines mean any content management system (CMS). Most of them are written in PHP and MySQL.

Each CMS is a software framework equipped with a user interface. Its tools greatly facilitate the process of site administration. But then why bother learning PHP from scratch? After all, you can simply go to the administrative part of the resource and perform all the manipulations using the tools built into it.

Let's start with the fact that not many people have the patience, time or energy to study PHP and MySQL. A person must come to this himself. But those who decide to comprehend these disciplines will receive:

• A profession in demand - smart programmers have always been in great demand on the labor market. But even inexperienced beginners with good theoretical knowledge of PHP and little experience in web programming will be able to find a job with decent pay;
• Remote work – in order to engage in programming, you don’t have to get up early, get to work and follow a dress code. All this can be left outside the door, and you can create program code while sitting at home in slippers;
• Saving money - if you own a website, then of course you know that the services of professional web programmers are expensive. And for someone starting their own business on the Internet, every penny is valuable. Self-studying MySQL and PHP will save money and put it in the right direction.

As already noted, most modern engines are based on PHP. Although their fault tolerance is at a high level, the influence of the human factor has not been canceled. Therefore, CMS code sometimes behaves differently than the web programmer intended.

And to correct this mistake, you need to look for a specialist and pay him a lot of money. And then it turns out that the whole problem was in just one line of code, which could be easily fixed even with knowledge of only the basics of PHP.

• An interesting hobby - web programming is not only a means of making money or saving it. This is also an exciting activity that combines both a technical element and a creative component.

Learning PHP and MySQL can be a means of self-expression for many.

What is PHP

PHP is a scripting programming language. It is most often used to create web applications and web services. This language is supported by most hosting sites on the Internet. The bulk of dynamic sites are written on its basis.

In a dynamic site, unlike a static one created only in html, the content of all pages is generated in response to a user request. The resource structure is formed based on template files, and the content is (most often) loaded from databases.

The popularity of PHP is due to its following characteristics:

• Support for most popular DBMS ( Database Management Systems);
• Automatic sending of HTTP headers;
• Built-in support for working with sessions and cookies;
• Tools for working with deleted files;
• XForms support ( XML-based forms);
• The proximity of PHP syntax to the C language;
• Lack of strict typing - variable typing is done dynamically.

Data types are where you start learning PHP

• OOP support ( object-oriented programming);
• A large set of superglobal (predefined) arrays designed to work with the web space.

What is MySQL?

MySQL is a freely distributed DBMS from Oracle. Along with the free version, commercial releases are also being developed to order. It is thanks to this that all new developments of the corporation are necessarily implemented in free releases of the DBMS:

Features of the MySQL DBMS:

• Support for data replication mechanism starting from the first releases of MySQL.

Replication is the process of synchronously copying all changes to a source on several of its copies at once. That is, any action on the data of one copy of an object will be reflected in all its other samples.

• Work with both local and remote sources is supported;
• Built-in support for a large number of table types. Moreover, thanks to open source, the list of supported table types is increasing;
• Wide range of cross-platform functionality;
• The size of MySQL database tables is limited only by the capabilities of the operating system on which the DBMS is deployed;
• Support for most popular programming languages ​​via API ( application interface).

More detailed information about the capabilities of the DBMS can be found in any tutorial or reference book on MySQL.

Where to begin?

From the bitter experience of many beginners, we can conclude that the main problem with self-learning PHP and MySQL is choosing the right software. And all due to the fact that PHP is a server-side programming language. Therefore, to test the code you need not only a special editor, but also a local server:

Several optimal options:

• Apache HTTP Server – can be downloaded from the developer’s official website;
• Denver is the most optimal option for installation and further use. The installation package includes an Apache server, PHP and MySQL. In the first option, you would have to download and install all this separately.

• XAMPP is a suite that includes PHP and MySQL. And also a built-in PHP tutorial:

Both suites include a utility for creating and modifying MySQL-based databases using T-SQL queries. But to write code in PHP, you will need an editor that supports the syntax of this language. Some of the most suitable options:

• PHPEdit ;
• Microsoft WebMatrix;
• Kantharos PHP IDE;
• Adobe Dreamweaver.

And finally, I would like to give some practical advice to all beginners. Don't think that you have more space in your forehead than everyone else. Learning needs to start with the basics. Therefore, for beginners, a PHP tutorial for dummies is more suitable than an advanced reference book for professionals. Then the stone of web science will not be so hard.